Experts date the amulet to about 3,800 years ago; they say an unknown artisan crafted it.
As reported by the Israel Antiquities Authority, three-year-old Ziv Nitzan discovered the stone while walking along a gravel path.
“Out of many stones, she picked one. When she brushed off the sand, we saw something unusual. I called my parents to come and see the amazing stone, and we realized it was an archaeological find! We immediately reported it to the Israel Antiquities Authority,” said the girl’s older sister, Omer Nitzan.
Archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority who arrived at the site identified the stone as a Canaanite scarab. The Canaanites were an ancient people who lived throughout the Levant and had close ties with Egypt. During the Middle Bronze Age, Canaanite artisans produced seals and amulets shaped like scarabs or bearing images of the beetle.
Such artifacts, often decorated with symbols and inscriptions, typically turn up in ancient burials and in public and private buildings across the region.
The practice of depicting scarabs on jewelry and amulets originated in ancient Egypt. The Egyptians associated scarabs with the sun god, who was thought to roll the solar disk across the sky.
Researchers have been excavating the archaeological site of Tel Azekah for over 15 years. During this time, they have uncovered numerous artifacts that shed light on ancient life in the region. Among the findings are ancient city walls and agricultural structures from the Kingdom of Judah, the Independent reports.
Oded Lipschitz, director of the excavations at Tel Aviv University, said, “The scarab found by Ziv adds to the long list of Egyptian and Canaanite artifacts discovered here, which testify to the close ties and cultural influences between Canaan and Egypt at that time.”
