Sacred Adornment Exhibition Interactive - Part 1

Part One: The Scarab

The scarab beetle was an important symbol to the ancient Egyptians. They saw dung beetles (Scarabeus sacer) pushing balls of dung across the sand. They imagined that there was a dung beetle that rolled the sun across the sky. This belief gave the scarab solar symbolism. Solar means of or relating to the sun. For example, when something is solar powered, it is powered by the sun.

At the same time, ancient Egyptians also observed young beetles hatching from these balls of dung and thought of the scarab as a symbol of rebirth and regeneration. In hieroglyphic writing, the scarab is used to write the word kheper, which means “to come into being” or “to exist”.

How do you think ancient Egyptians used the scarab symbol in their daily lives?

A black outline of a scarab beetle with the words scarab hieroglyph.

A series of three scarab amulets with one grey scarab shown from the top and two blue scarab amulets with gold edging showing the carved underside.

Object E13055 and E9192. Courtesy of Penn Museum.

Part 1 Task:

On your blank piece of paper, list three ways that you think ancient Egyptians used the scarab symbol.

(Hint: Some answers can be found in Part 2!)

Once you have completed the task, click below to move on to Part 2!

Part 2 - Scarabs in Life and Death

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