Scarab

Found in the underwater site of Playa de la Isla (Mazarrón, Murcia), this scarab dates to the 7th century BCE. Silver ring, with a circular cross-section, set with a soapstone scarab. On the flat side is a seal engraved with human figures in profile with their hands raised and wearing striped costumes.Salto de línea Jewels in the form of beetles or scarabs were amulets widely used by the Phoenicians, and even more so by the Egyptians, from whom they took the custom. They were the most popular jewellery type throughout history, favoured by the diffusion of these objects by the Phoenician-Punic world. Their function is to protect the people with whom they are in contact and their power resides in morphology and iconography. In addition to their magical value they were also seals and, as such, they served as symbols of property for their bearers, most likely with magical and protective connotations, relating to the chthonic world.Salto de línea This link to property, as a symbol of ownership, probably explains the wide distribution of scarabs throughout the Mediterranean, including the Iberian peninsula. Scarabs symbolised the sun and rebirth, due to their capacity to be reborn from the earth. They therefore represented beliefs in the Beyond and, specifically, in resurrection.Salto de línea