Scarab beetle amulets

The scarab beetle was an important amulet type from around 2,600BC onwards. The real beetle lays its eggs in dung and then pushes the ball of dung before it wherever it goes. When the young beetles hatch they appear to do so miraculously from the dung. Thus to the ancient Egyptians the scarab beetle was a symbol of rebirth and represents the god Khepri, who was thought to push the sun disc through the morning sky, as a scarab beetle pushes its ball of dung.
Initially scarab amulets were used as protective seals in life and later their use was extended to funerary rites. The heart scarab was placed over the heart of the mummy to prevent the heart from speaking out against the deceased.
Amulets were worn by the living and the dead in ancient Egypt. Some protected the wearer from danger and others gave the wearer special attributes such as strength. They were generally made in the shape of animals, plants, sacred objects or hieroglyphic symbols. Different combinations of shape, material and colour determined the effectiveness of a particular amulet