Universität Leipzig: Discovering objects

Mummy amulet ensemble

Einzelteile eines Sets von Mumienamuletten in versch. Formen

Our amulets

Two of the most important aspects of the ancient Egyptian funerary practices were the integrity of the body and the continuation of the deceased’s life in the afterlife. Amulets were supposed to protect the body, besides mummification. The magical power protected its wearer from negative influences while they were alive.

Coins

A monetary system was introduced relatively late in Egypt. There was no state minting system in Egypt up until the 30th dynasty (380 – 342 BC). The Egyptian Museum has 52 coins in total in its possession which can cover nearly the whole coinage system of Ancient Egypt. They particularly stand out because of their different motifs and nominal values.

Our scarabs

Today, tourists in Egypt can still buy scarabs in countless forms, small objects in the shape of the Egyptian dung beetle. Their popularity reaches far back into the pharaonic era. The oldest reliably datable scarabs come from grave finds from the end of the First Intermediate Period and can be traced back to the Greco-Roman period.

Mummy amulet ensemble

Our amulets

Coins

Coins

Scarabs

Our scarabs