Welcome to an interactive experience based on Glencairn Museum's exhibition

Sacred Adornment: Jewelry as Belief in Ancient Egypt!

All you need to be able to complete this interactive is a piece of paper, and
something to write with. This interactive is based on the physical exhibition, but a
visit to Glencairn Museum is not required! Whether you are able to visit in person or
not, this interactive will expand upon and enrich your experience.

The exhibition is available both in-person here through a booking or online through
Google Arts and Culture.

Once you have viewed the exhibition, move on to the next page for Part 1!
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?

Scarab
hieroglyph

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, move on to the next page for Part 2!
 Some scarabs were used by people who were living:
In their jewelry and As seals to close boxes, bags, doors and
adornment, like on this papyrus documents. Sometimes we still
necklace. use wax to seal envelopes and letters
today!
Some scarabs were important in burials and tombs:
Funerary scarabs were used Large scarabs with outstretched bird
as amulets for mummies. wings could be attached to the
wrappings of a mummy
(Amulet 31-27-274.
Courtesy of Penn Museum.)
Part 2 Task:
Choose one of the uses of scarabs above, and draw yourself using or
wearing it in the way described on your piece of paper.
Once you have completed the task, move on to the next page for Part 3!
In signet rings carved with markings
specific to the wearer, like a
signature. Maybe you or someone
you know uses a signature to sign
their name in a special way.
Sometimes people today still wear
signet rings.
Heart scarabs were used to protect the
heart of the person in death, and ensure
safe passage to the afterlife. The flat
surface underneath contains a spell from
The Book of the Dead, offering words of
magical protection for the heart of the
person when it was weighed during the
final judgement.
The Walters Art Museum.
On most ancient Egyptian scarabs, the top of the scarab often
looked like the actual beetle, while the flat underside had carved
designs.

Sometimes these designs contained the name and titles of its

owner and could be used to stamp the seal of its holder into a soft
surface.

The bottom of this scarab is inscribed with the name of

Tuthmosis III, an ancient Egyptian pharaoh.
(Object E362.
Courtesy of Penn Museum)
Sometimes these carved designs were purely decorative,
with spirals or protective images.

The scarab on the left is different and is shaped like a hedgehog

on top, and has spiral designs underneath. The scarab on the
right has the sign for "protection" at the very bottom of its
carvings. (Object E9206 and E13812.
Courtesy of Penn Museum)

Part 3 Task:
What do you think ancient Egyptians wanted protection from, thousands of years ago?
Write down or draw a few of your ideas on your piece of paper. Talk about your ideas with
someone else. Do they share your ideas? Do they have other ideas?

Once you have completed the task, move on to the next page for Part 4!
Here are some of the symbols that ancient Egyptians carved onto the underside of a scarab. Each symbol has a
meaning. Some symbols were the image of a god or goddess.

Below you will find each symbol, its name, the Egyptian word the hieroglyph stands for, and its meaning.

Name | Scarab Name | Windpipe

Egyptian Word | kheper Egyptian Word | nefer
Meaning | To come into being, to exist Meaning | Beautiful

Name | Heart Name | Papyrus column

Egyptian Word | ib Egyptian Word | wadj
Meaning | Heart Meaning | Healthy, to flourish

Name | Eye of Horus Name | Collar of beads

Egyptian Word | wedjat Egyptian Word | nub
Meaning | Whole, healthy Meaning | Gold

Name | Sandal strap Name | Scepter

Egyptian Word | ankh Egyptian Word | was
Meaning | Life Meaning | Dominion, power
 Name | Pillar Name | Sun
Egyptian Word | djed Egyptian Word | Ra
Meaning | Stability Meaning | Sun

Name | Cobra Name | Bes (god)

Egyptian Word | iaret Dominion | Protector of house,
Meaning | Supreme power, royalty, home, family, children
divine power

Name | Taweret (goddess)

Dominion | Protector of house, home,
family, mothers, children

The designs on a protective scarab amulet could include several symbols and images. The
combination chosen might reflect the person’s hope for a specific type of protection.

Look at these examples.

Can you find any symbols that you recognize?
Check the symbols above to review their meaning.
Based on the combinations of symbols you see, what do you
imagine each ancient Egyptian scarab owner was hoping for,
hoping to protect, or protect against?

Part 4 Task:

Ancient Egyptians cared about and believed specific things that influenced their designs.
Today, we might still care about some similar things – our health, our family, being
successful, having food and good fortune.
On your paper, write down or draw some things that you care about that you would want to
protect and keep safe in your life.

Once you have completed the task, move on to the next page for Part 5!
 Time to put everything together and design your own protective scarab amulet!

Part 5 Task:

Draw a large oval to be an empty scarab

base on your paper, like this.

Using the hieroglyph symbols from Part 4, fill in your scarab base
with a combination of symbols that show the things that you want to
protect or ask for.

Check the Symbols pages again if you need reminding of their

meanings!

If you would like to protect something that is not shown in the

symbols, you might want to design and draw a new symbol to
include on your scarab. Think of an image that could symbolize your
idea and add it to your scarab.

You can make yours as simple or detailed as you like!

You could even make your scarab out of playdough, salt dough or
clay, and carve your symbols on to its base!

Share your creations with us by posting to social media and tagging @glencairnmuseum or by
emailing us at info@glencairmuseum.org

If you would like to keep learning about and having fun with ancient Egyptian sacred adornment,
check out this crossword puzzle which is also based on our exhibition!