The selected artifact is an engraved scaraboid of the Greek goddess Athena. A scaraboid is a gem engraved onto a flat oval base, containing a rounded back that imitates the shape of a beetle. This gem replaced the scarab, a beetle-shaped amulet, and seal that was particularly popular throughout Egypt, later spreading to the other Mediterranean nations like Ancient Greece during 400 B.C. The difference between the scarab and scaraboid is the lack of detailed anatomy found in a beetle in the scaraboid. The scaraboid is a simplified form of the scarab. Also, the scarab is known for its similarity to a beetle. Contrarily, a scaraboid lacks a lot of those features. Scaraboids have two functions: they are worn as jewelry or used as a seal. The seal…show more content… The identification served to mark and secure citizen's properties during Ancient Greece. Since the scaraboid had an image of Athena, the patron of Athens, there could be a direct connection between the owner of the scaraboid and Athens. People of authority possessed these seals since they used them for administrative, political, and diplomatic purposes to commemorate or praise someone's status. Owning this object would be a form of praise towards the goddess, as it served for crucial activities, denoting religious value. An additional reason is that it served as a way to honor her since honoring a figure was one of the functions of a scaraboid. Another possible use of this object could be a form of protection by the goddess herself because, during Ancient Egypt, scaraboids were overtly religious pieces of art, used as a symbol of renewal and rebirth, associated with the sun god Khepri. The beetle shape was associated with him because of the original form of the scaraboid; scarab would roll large balls of manure to lay their eggs in. Something that the Ancient Egyptians thought resembled the progression of the sun through the sky from the east to the
