A 3,000-year-old scarab was found by some eighth graders on a school trip in Azor, just a few miles south of Tel Aviv, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced Wednesday.
Amulets in the shape of a dung beetle, scarabs were common among Egyptians, who considered their typical behavior of rolling balls as big as twice their size similar to an act of creation by their gods. However, their popularity transcended the empire’s borders and ancient scarabs have been found all over the region. In the case of the artifact unearthed in Azor, the craftsmanship suggests it was locally made.
“The scarab was used as a seal and was a symbol of power and status,” said Dr. Amir Golani, an IAA specialist of the Bronze Age period. “It may have been placed on a necklace or a ring. It is made of faience, a silicate material coated with a bluish-green glaze.”
According to Golani, the scarab might have been buried on purpose or have just dropped from the hands of an important figure of authority who passed through the area.
The flat side of the artifact features two human figures, one standing and one sitting on a chair, possibly depicting a local leader being conferred power by an Egyptian pharaoh.
“This scene basically reflects the geopolitical reality that prevailed in the land of Canaan during the Late Bronze Age (ca. 1500-1000 BCE), when the local Canaanite rulers lived (and sometimes rebelled) under Egyptian political and cultural hegemony,” Golani explained. “Therefore, it is very possible that the seal is indeed from the Late Bronze Age, when the local Canaanites were ruled by the Egyptian Empire.”
The eighth graders were visiting the archaeological site in Azor as part of a program organized by the IAA which with the goal of teaching the local Azor residents about their local archaeological heritage.
“The find of the scarab in the framework of a field tour with pupils participating in the Tour-Guide course, is symbolic, in that the pupils were gaining archaeological knowledge, and at the same time contributing to our archaeological heritage,” said Eli Escusido, Director of the Israel Antiquity Authority. “This cooperation is truly moving, as we are working towards connecting communities with their cultural heritage.”
“We were wandering around, when I saw something that looked like a small toy on the ground,” said Gilad Stern of the IAA Educational Center, who was leading the tour. “An inner voice said to me: ‘Pick it up and turn it over.’ I was astonished: it was a scarab with a clearly incised scene, the dream of every amateur archaeologist. The pupils were really excited!”
