Scarab of the Steward of Cusae, Senebtifi
Middle Kingdom
Scarabs bearing the names of nonroyal individuals first appeared in the later 12th Dynasty, concurrent with other significant cultural and political developments. Thereafter scarabs were mass produced, primarily as amulets, though they often also functioned as administrative seals. Scarab beetles lay their eggs in round balls of dung from which their young emerge, actions that the ancient Egyptians equated with the sun god and rebirth, appropriate symbolism for amulets that were often placed in tombs.
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