The bodies in the Astana were placed inside wooden coffins, supported by bundles of paper, and with small articles of personal use and model garments made of paper or silk, such as shoes and hats placed alongside. Other offerings were put in wooden or clay vessels near the head of the coffins on a wooden pedestal, as shown here. The vessels were almost always shallow befitting their use for funerary purposes and were often painted with a distinctive pattern of white dots and red lines. Remains of food, was found in some of the tombs and included grapes, plums, pears pieces of meat, and wheat.
Wood with pigments Clay with pigments
The British Museum, 1928,1022.105 (Ast.ix.2.028)
1928,1022.110 (Ast.i.1.05)