Scarab Pectoral of The Scribe Neferrenpet

Abstract

The present study endeavors to publish an ancient pectoral, currently housed in the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, cataloged under inventory number GEM 8566, the database of the Grand Egyptian Museum, indicates that the pectoral originally formed part of the collection of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, where it was registered first as JE 4338, subsequently registered in the CG under no. 12221. It was transferred to the new Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza in 2020 and now bears Inv. No. GEM 8566, dated to the New Kingdom and belonging to the royal scribe Neferrenpet. The pectoral is decorated with a scarab between two feathers on the recto and a text excerpt from Chapter 30B of the Book of the Dead on the verso. Until now, the object has never before been properly studied or published. The Egyptians in all periods of their history used amulets, and wore them when living, and caused them to be placed on their bodies when dead. Amulets are made of many kinds of stones, both common and semi-precious, metals, wood, ivory, bone, shell, wax, faience, etc. The common word for amulet in the dynastic period was mkt, which means protector; a frequently used synonym is udjau.