Scaraboid seal

Alright, imagine you have a special kind of toy that looks like a small flat shape, kind of like a button or a coin. This special toy is called a scaraboid seal. It is made of a hard material like stone or clay.

Now, pretend you are a really important person in ancient Egypt. You would wear clothes that look fancy, and you would have a special way to show everyone that you are important. One way is by having your own special seal, just like a stamp. This seal is usually made in the shape of a beetle called a scarab, because people in ancient Egypt loved beetles.

The scaraboid seal has a special carving on it, which is like a picture that is made by cutting into the material with a sharp tool. The carving usually shows a design or a pattern, like symbols or pictures of animals or people. Imagine if you had a stamp and you could choose what picture you want to stamp on paper. That's how a scaraboid seal works!

So, the important people in ancient Egypt would wear their scaraboid seal around their neck, or they could keep it in a fancy little box. When they wanted to show that a letter or a document was really from them, they would take their special seal, dip it in ink, and press it onto the paper. This would leave an impression of their unique carving, so everyone would know it was actually from them.

The scaraboid seal was not only a way to show who you were, but it also had some magical and spiritual meaning to the ancient Egyptians. They believed that the scarab beetle was a lucky symbol, associated with rebirth and life. So, by using their scaraboid seal, they believed they were bringing good luck and protection to their important documents.

Nowadays, people don't use scaraboid seals anymore. We have different ways to show who we are, like signatures or digital signatures on computers. But it's fascinating to imagine how people in ancient Egypt used these special little toys to stamp their mark and show their importance.