Therefore, the ancient Egyptians provided dwelling places for spirits of all kinds, in the form of amulets and statues. The Egyptians wore amulets of all kinds when living, and were laid on bodies of the dead because it was thought that the benevolent, in-dwelling spirits would protect them from the evil spirits. The tombs of Egypt have yielded untold thousands of beads of all kinds, shells, teeth of animals and men, pendants, etc., which could be worn as necklaces. The same practice continues in rural Egypt and sub-Sahara Africa. Neither the Egyptian nor the modern African ever believed in the divinity of their amulets or fetishes, and they never considered them to represent deities.
Fetish objects are simply local residences.
The thing itself, the material itself, is nothing more than a medium. The fetish user makes a clear distinction between a certain material object, and the spirit for the time inhabiting it. For this reason nothing is too small, or too mean, or too ridiculous, to be considered fit for a spirit s locum tenens. In order to maintain any form of energy, we have to sustain it. The ancient and present-day rural Egyptian, like the modern African, made offerings to the spirits of their ancestors, with the intention of keeping their help and protection by maintaining their existence.