Heart-Amulet

Date1550-1070 BC

MediumBasalt

DimensionsObject/Work: 5 x 3.8 mm

ClassificationsReligious/Ritual Equipment

Terms

Object numberC00403

DescriptionHeart amulet in the form of a scarab beetle. The image of a scarab beetle was popular as a heart amulet as it was a symbol of regeneration. The heart amulet was placed on the upper torso of a mummy. Egyptians believed that the heart was the source of intelligence and emotion. The heart was left inside the body during mummification, so it could be weighed against the feather of truth to determine whether the deceased could enter the Afterlife.

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