The scarab beetle was an exceedingly popular symbol in the art of Ancient Egypt, thought to represent the sun god, Ra. The Ancient Egyptians believed that the scarab beetle rolling its ball of dung across the desert mirrored the journey of the sun across the sky from day to night. As the beetle laid its eggs within the dung, it became a symbol of rebirth and regeneration.
Floral motifs, scroll patterns and circle designs were exceedingly common on Middle Kingdom scarabs. Their exact meaning is still unclear, if there was one, however they acted as beautiful filler ornaments. They were especially popular within the 12th and 13th Dynasties and continued to be used into the Hyksos period and New Kingdom. The detailing to the anatomy of this scarab would suggest a later date, with the inclusion of humeral callosities. Such feature was not recorded on seal amulets dating before the 2nd Millennium BC. They are rarely seen on scarabs from the Second Intermediate Period and are usually indicative of amulets dating from the 18th Dynasty during the New Kingdom Period (1550-1070 BC).
To find out more about Ancient Egyptian amulets please see our relevant blog post: Egyptian Amulets and their Meanings.
