Seal amulet

This scarab made of steatite has been carved into the form of a dung beetle (Scarabaeus sacer). From the earliest times the adult dung beetle that was observed to roll a ball of dung across the sand apparently prompted in the minds of the Egyptians a comparison with the rising sun god reborn at each dawn. The Egyptian noun scarab literally means ’that which comes into being’, and thereby the amulet was associated both with the notion of the creation of new life and that of rebirth. The oval underside of this scarab is decorated with a symmetrical motif consisting of papyrus flowers and hieroglyphs. This motif symbolising kingship (nbty) endowed its wearer with strong magical protection and was popular on scarab seals in use during the Middle Kingdom (ca. 1980–1760 BC). Similar seal amulets could have been used in everyday life for sealing purposes, and at the same time they also could function as one of the most popular magical objects in ancient Egypt, which could assure protection for the bodies of mortals during their lifetime or help them on their journey through the netherworld. The piercing through the longitudinal axis of the amulet suggests that it was originally threaded or set in a ring.