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Late Period–Ptolemaic Period
The surveyor’s level and the right angle were used by architects for leveling a building site. As amulets, they helped to level the balance when the heart was weighed against Maat (the principle of truth and justice). Only if the deceased had acted in his or her lifetime according to Maat was he or she allowed to live on in the netherworld.
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Title: Surveyor's level amulet
Period: Late Period–Ptolemaic Period
Date: 664–30 B.C.
Geography: From Egypt
Medium: Hematite
Dimensions: H. 1.4 cm (9/16 in), w. 2.1 cm (13/16 in)
Credit Line: Gift of Helen Miller Gould, 1910
Accession Number: 10.130.1838
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