Current Research in Egyptology

Tokyo, July 11–16 2026

Erato Deratsa

This paper examines the iconographic and theological presence of the goddess Meretseger on anthropoid coffins of the Third Intermediate Period, focusing on a previously unpublished example (inv. no. AIG 3413), now in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. Traditionally understood as a local protective deity associated with the Theban necropolis and the community of Deir el-Medina, Meretseger is only rarely attested in coffin decoration of the early first millennium BCE. Her appearance in this context therefore raises significant questions regarding the persistence, adaptation and reconfiguration of local cults within changing funerary ideologies. The paper argues that Meretseger’s inclusion on anthropoid coffins reflects not merely conservative iconographic survival, but a deliberate theological response to the social and ideological instability characteristic of the Third Intermediate Period. Often depicted with a serpent’s head, raised arms and ritual knives, the goddess embodies a dual function of aggressive protection and ritual purification. Her martial posture and weaponry emphasize her role as an active guardian of funerary integrity, while simultaneously invoking regenerative symbolism linked to the serpent’s cyclical renewal.

Particular attention is given to the interaction between Meretseger and adjacent hieroglyphic symbols as they appear on anthropoid coffins, including emblems associated with divine authority, ritual order and the principle of Maat. In this funerary setting, these elements situate the goddess within a broader moral and cosmological framework, transforming her from a strictly local guardian into an agent of ethical surveillance and posthumous judgment.

By situating this iconographic evidence within the socio-political fragmentation of the TIP, the paper proposes that Meretseger’s appearance on anthropoid coffins reflects heightened concerns over tomb violation, moral transgression and the safeguarding of the deceased’s transformation in the afterlife. Ultimately, the study highlights the adaptability of local Theban deities and their capacity to articulate broader theological concerns during periods of crisis.