The cowroid amulet imitated the shape of a cowrie shell, and began to appear in the 2nd millennium BC. The cowrie shell itself was often worn as an amulet or as adornment by Ancient Egyptians, who saw the object and its shape as protection from the evil eye and as a symbol of fertility given its resemblance to a fecund belly. Cowrie shells and cowroids are therefore largely found in female burials, with some also occasionally found in male graves.
The papyrus plant was the heraldic emblem of Lower Egypt, and when it was paired with the lotus flower – the emblem for the adjoining Upper Egypt – these two symbols together came to signify the unification of these two lands that occurred in 3150 BC under Narmer.
To find out more about Ancient Egyptian amulets please see our relevant blog post: Egyptian Amulets and their Meanings.
