Design amulet depicting a schematic human figure

This design amulet made of steatite has been carved into the form of a truncated pyramid and was pierced cross-wise at the middle. An incised design of a squatting man with raised arms decorates the flat base of the object. Similar early design amulets are characteristic to the 6th–9th dynasties (ca. 2305–2118 BC) and could have also been used as seals in certain cases. However, many examples were found during excavations incorporated in strings of beads and amulets on the neck of the dead, underlining the magical protective significance of the object. It is also interesting to note that these objects are more characteristic of women’s and children’s burials in the cemetery at Qau in Upper Egypt.