International Journal of Engineering and Techniques -Volume 4, Issue 5, Sept - Oct 2018 RESEARCH ARTICLE OPEN ACCESS Mechanical Engineering in Ancient Egypt, Part 73: Scarabs Inscription Galal Ali Hassaan Department of Mechanical Design & Production, Faculty of Engineering, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt Email: [email protected] Abstract: rd This paper is the 73 Research paper in a series investigating the evolution of mechanical engineering in ancient Egypt. It investigates the inscription of scarabs during a time span from the Middle Kingdom to the Late Period of ancient Egypt. It outlines the type, design , material, decoration, inscription, owner and present location of each scarab. The type of script used in the inscription of the scarabs is outlined and the technique of presenting the text on each scarab is also investigated. Keywords — Mechanical engineering; ancient Egypt; scarabs, inscription, Middle Kingdom to Late Periods. officials in Middle Bronze Age Canaa, He stated I. INTRODUCTION that they reached Canaan not earlier than the time of the 13 th Dynasty and were used as funerary This is the 73 paper in a series of research amulets [4]. papers aiming at exploring the role of ancient Watts (1998) studied a shabti box from the Egyptians in the evolution of mechanical 19 th Dynasty, reign outlined that the ancient engineering. The paper focuses on the inscription of Egyptians used the 'Kheper' (scarab) hieroglyph for scarabs during a time era from the Middle Kingdom meaning 'to become' or 'to evolve' and used it as an to the Late Period of ancient Egypt. amulet in life and and symbolizing rebirth in death. Myer (1894) in his book about scarabs He presented one of Wah's scarabs from the 12 th outlined that the oldest inscribed scarab was for Dynasty (inscribed) [5]. Levinson and Levinson rd King Nebka from the 3 Dynasty made of pottery (2001) pointed out that heart scarabs were and glazed pale green. He classified scarabs as: employed from the 13 th Dynasty to the 17 th Dynasty religious, historical (containing Cartouches and of ancient Egypt and were frequently used during names), physiographical (containing animals and the 18 th to 30 th Dynasties [6]. plants), funeral, amulets and seals [1]. Petrie (1917) Teeter (2003) in her publication about in his book about scarabs and cylinders presented scarabs, seals and seal impressions from Medinet line drawings for scarabs from different historical Habu provided a catalogue for 349 items from eras including a scarab of Senusret I and Senusret II Medinet Habu of Egypt. It incuded scarabs from the th from the 12 Dynasty, scarab of Mer-Khepr-Ra 18 th Dynasty, 18 th -20 th Dynasties, 18 th -21 th th from 13 Dynasty, and a scarab of Thutmose II Dynasties, 18 th -25 th Dynasties, 18 th -26 th Dynasties, th from the 18 Dynasty. He presented inscribed 19 th -21 st Dynasties, 20 th Dynasty, 20 th -21 st st th th scarabs fro the 1 -7 Dynasties, m7th Dynasty, 9 Dynasties, 20 th -22 nd Dynasties, 20 th -25 th Dynasties, th th th Dynasty, 11 -27 Dynasties and 30 Dynasty. [2]. 21 st -24 th Dynasties, 21 st -25 th Dynasties, 21 st -26 th Giveon (1978) in his study about the impact Dynasties, 22 nd Dynasty, 22 nd -25 th Dynasties, 22 nd - of Egypt on Canaan presented inscribed scarabs 29 th Dynasties, 25 th Dynasty, 25 th -26 th Dynasties. th th from 12 to 19 Dynasties of Egypt [3]. Den-Tor She presented a collection of heart scarabs (1994) studied the presence of Middle Kingdom presenting their inscription and translation [7]. Egyptian scarabs bearing private names and titles of ISSN: 2395-1303 http://www.ijetjournal.org Page 81 International Journal of Engineering and Techniques -Volume 4, Issue 5, Sept - Oct 2018 Cooney and Tyrrell (2005) pointed out that scarab ancient Egypt. They outlined that the scarab production had the feature of being an art from Old inscription referred to chapter 30 from the book of Kingdom to La te Period. They presented a number dead. They presented examples of the inscribed of inscribed scarabs in display in the Los Angeles heart scarabs [14]. Country Museum of Art from the 13 th Dynasty, 15 th Dynasty, 16 th Dynasty, 18 th Dynasty, 19 th Dynasty and New Kingdom [8]. II. INSCRIBED SCARABS OF THE MIDDLE Cooney (2008) in her paper about the KINGDOM th Egyptian s carab outlined the different types of The Middle Kingdom comprised the 11 th Egyptian scarabs including: heart scarabs, and 12 Dynasties over a time span from 2050 to commemorative scarabs and scarab amulets. She 1710 BC [15]. We have four examples of using presented an inscribed heart scarab fro the New scarabs as a media for writing by the ancient Kingdom or later, a commemorative scarab for Egyptians presented as follows: Pharaoh Amenhotep III and Queen Tiye from the - The first example is a 15.9 mm height and 18 th Dynasty, an inscribed scaraboid from the New 10.7 mm width amethyst scarab of Singer Kingdom or later , an inscribed scarab of Pharaoh Kem Sheta from the Middle Kingdom Thutmose III from the 18 th Dynasty, an inscribed (2050-1710 BC) in display in the British scarab from the Middle Kingdom to Second Museum and shown in Fig.1 [16]. It was Intermediate Period and an inscribed scarab of the inscribed on its bottom surface in a column Hyksos King Sheshi [9]. of a h ieroglyphic script text surrounded by a Sparavigna (2009) in her study of Egyptian decorating profile. seals and scarabs presented some inscribed scarabs in display in the Egyptian Museum of Torino. She outlined also that some of the designs of Hyksos scarabs continued to the 26 th Dynasty [10]. Sagrillo (2011) in his study of the hears scarab of King Sheshonq III from the 22 nd Dynasty of ancient Egypt presented the scarab where it was inscribed on its bottom surface by eight bounded lines of hieroglyphic script text based on chapter 30B of the bo ok of dead. He presented in the inscription in a separate image including two Cartouches of the Pharaoh in the last line, then an English translation for the hieroglyphic text [11]. Fig.1 Scarab of Kem Sheta from the Middle McDonald et. Al. (2014) made a detailed Kingdom [16 ]. analysis for an Egyptian scarab f rom the Second Intermediate Period and the New Kingdom. Their - The second example is a 21 mm height and 15 mm width glazed steatite scarab of analysis demonstrated the existence of very thin and th very thick hard-soldering, using the casting process Steward Senebtifi from the 12 Dynasty even for very small items, the re-use without re - (1981-1802 BC) in display in the melting of some smaller elements with different Metropolitan Museum of Art at NY and copper and silver content [12]. Hassaan (2017) in shown in Fig.2 [17]. It had the same design his study of scarab statuettes in ancient Egypt as the scarab o f Fig.1 where the presented inscribed scarabs from the 13 th Dynasty, hieroglyphic text was located in the middle 14 th -15 th Dynasties, Second Intermediate Period, of the scarab bottom surface surrounded by 15 th Dynasty, 18 th Dynasty, 18 th -19 th Dynasties, a decorating surface. st nd th - The third example is a 19 mm height glazed 21 -22 Dynasties and 26 Dynasty [3]. Wikipedia th th (2018) wrote an article about the heart scarab of steatite scarab from the 12 -13 Dynasties ISSN: 2395-1303 http://www.ijetjournal.org Page 82 International Journal of Engineering and Techniques -Volume 4, Issue 5, Sept - Oct 2018 (1981-1640 BC) shown in Fig.3 [18]. It was inscribed by three different designs of patterns located inside an oval contour. th Fig.4 Scarab of Sithathoryunet from the 12 Dynasty [19]. th Fig.2 Scarab of Senebtifi from the 12 Dynasty [17]. III. INSCRIBED SCARABS OF THE SECOND INTERMEDIATE PERIOD The Second Intermediate Period of ancient th th Egypt comprised the 13 to the 17 Dynasties over a time span from 1802 to 1550 BC [20] The ancient Egyptians continued to produce inscribed scarabs even during their weal historical periods as will be depicted through the following n \three examples: - The first example is a heart scarab of th Official Sobekhotep from the 13 Dynasty (1802-1725 BC) shown in Fig.5 [21]. This may be the first example of heart scarabs with funerary text from the book of dead. The text was engraved on Fig.3 Scarab from the 12 th -13 th Dynasties [18]. the bottom surface of the scarab using the hieroglyphic script with text written - The fourth example is 17 mm height lapis in eight bounded columns. lazuli scarab of Princess Sithathoryunet from the 12 th Dynasty, reign of Kings Senusret II and Amenemhat III (1887 -1813 BC) in display in the Metropolitan Museum of Art at NY and shown in Fig.4 [1 9]. It has the same design of the previous two examples in Figs.1 and 2 with the hieroglyphic script text engraved inside a decorating contour. ISSN: 2395-1303 http://www.ijetjournal.org Page 83 International Journal of Engineering and Techniques -Volume 4, Issue 5, Sept - Oct 2018 Fig.5 Heart scarab from the 13 th Dynasty [21]. Dynasty [23]. - The second example is a 38 mm height and 25 mm length jasper heart scarab of IV. INSCRIBED SCARABS OF THE NEW King Sobekemsaf II from the 1 7th KINGDOM The New Kingdom of ancient Egypt comprised three Dynasty (1590 BC) in display in the th th th British Museum at London and shown in Dynasties: 18 , 19 and 20 flourished in a time Fig.6 [22].