This particular scarab bears resemblance to those carved by Canaanite craftsmen during Egypt’s Hyksos period. The Hyksos period, during the late Middle Kingdom, was a period of foreign rule by a succession of Asiatic chieftains, hailing from the Levant. Craftsmen followed on the tradition of using scarabs as protection amulets however their style and motifs were different. Hieroglyphs were used simply for the apotropaic properties, rather than specific meaning. Scarabs such as these, with wild animals depicted, were common during this period. Wild animals were meant to be feared and respected and indicated the successful dominance over chaos.
To find out more about Ancient Egyptian amulets please see our relevant blog post: Egyptian Amulets and their Meanings.
