Officials worked in many different areas, as architects, lawyers, doctors, priests, army officers, state administrators and accountants. Part of the equipment of any official was a seal, used to seal property after it was inspected or after it came into their department.

Almost everything in ancient Egypt was taxed, so everything had to be assessed and accounted for. Part of the duties of the tax officials was to survey and measure fields and assess the harvest to calculate the tax due. Survey stones marked the boundaries of the fields.