Through a case study of the cemetery of Asyut, my postdoctoral research project has aimed to determine how a period of instability caused by the civil war of the First Intermediate Period impacted funerary customs. The tombs at Asyut give particular prominence to the military in their inscriptions and representations, reflecting the critical role the province played in the civil war. While the historical importance of the textual sources has been investigated by scholars, the complementary artistic representations have not been adequately assessed. My research has comprised a detailed analysis of the funerary models, wall scenes and inscriptions of the military at Asyut. This has revealed notable changes in the values of the elite in their preparation for the afterlife, including an increased desire to promote military success and to maintain access to eternal protection.