A three-year-old girl has stunned archaeologists after discovering an ancient Egyptian scarab amulet dating back 3,800 years during a family outing in Israel.
Ziv Nitzan unearthed the rare artefact while visiting the archaeological site of Tel Azekah, about 50 miles southeast of Tel Aviv.
Experts from the Israel Antiquities Authority have confirmed the toddler found a Canaanite scarab from the Middle Bronze Age, a period spanning from around 2100 to 1600 BCE.
The discovery happened in early March when the family was strolling along a dirt path with gravel.
"Out of the 7,000 stones around her, she picked up one stone. Then she brushed off the sand and saw that something was different about it," Omer Nitzan, Ziv's older sister, explained.
"When she rubbed it and removed sand from it, we saw that something was different about it. I called my parents to come see the beautiful stone and we realised we'd discovered an archaeological find," she added.
The family immediately reported their discovery to authorities.
Dr Daphna Ben-Tor, a curator for Egyptian archaeology at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, determined the small treasure originated in the Middle Bronze Age.
"Scarabs were used in this period as seals and as amulets," said Ben-Tor. "They were found in graves, in public buildings and in private homes. Sometimes they bear symbols and messages that reflect religious beliefs or status."
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The scarab-shaped amulets were designed to emulate dung beetles and can be traced back to ancient Egypt. Such artefacts have been widely found throughout the region in ancient graves and buildings.
Ancient Egyptians considered the dung beetle sacred and viewed it as "a symbol of new life", according to the Israel Antiquities Authority.
The beetles were associated with their Sun god, who was believed to roll the "Sun disk" across the celestial sphere, similar to how dung beetles roll balls of dung.
Even the insect's name in Egyptian derives from the verb "to be created", as ancient Egyptians viewed the scarab as a symbol of the incarnation of god. The Canaanites, an early Semitic population living in the Levant region, adopted these symbols.
Archaeologists have been conducting excavations at Tel Azekah for over 15 years, uncovering numerous artefacts that shed light on life in the region thousands of years ago.
Israeli Minister of Heritage, Amichai Eliyahu, said: "The scarab Ziv found also reminds us that in the Land of Israel, even children can be a part of discovering history."
The young archaeologist and her family have received a certificate of appreciation from the Israel Antiquities Authority.
Eli Escusido, the director of the antiquities authority, praised the family for their discovery.
The ancient scarab will be displayed in a special exhibition by the Israel Antiquities Authority for Passover in mid-April.
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Ziv Nitzan unearthed the rare artefact while visiting the archaeological site of Tel Azekah, about 50 miles southeast of Tel Aviv.
Experts from the Israel Antiquities Authority have confirmed the toddler found a Canaanite scarab from the Middle Bronze Age, a period spanning from around 2100 to 1600 BCE.
The discovery happened in early March when the family was strolling along a dirt path with gravel.
"Out of the 7,000 stones around her, she picked up one stone. Then she brushed off the sand and saw that something was different about it," Omer Nitzan, Ziv's older sister, explained.
"When she rubbed it and removed sand from it, we saw that something was different about it. I called my parents to come see the beautiful stone and we realised we'd discovered an archaeological find," she added.
The family immediately reported their discovery to authorities.
Dr Daphna Ben-Tor, a curator for Egyptian archaeology at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, determined the small treasure originated in the Middle Bronze Age.
"Scarabs were used in this period as seals and as amulets," said Ben-Tor. "They were found in graves, in public buildings and in private homes. Sometimes they bear symbols and messages that reflect religious beliefs or status."
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The scarab-shaped amulets were designed to emulate dung beetles and can be traced back to ancient Egypt. Such artefacts have been widely found throughout the region in ancient graves and buildings.
Ancient Egyptians considered the dung beetle sacred and viewed it as "a symbol of new life", according to the Israel Antiquities Authority.
The beetles were associated with their Sun god, who was believed to roll the "Sun disk" across the celestial sphere, similar to how dung beetles roll balls of dung.
Even the insect's name in Egyptian derives from the verb "to be created", as ancient Egyptians viewed the scarab as a symbol of the incarnation of god. The Canaanites, an early Semitic population living in the Levant region, adopted these symbols.
Archaeologists have been conducting excavations at Tel Azekah for over 15 years, uncovering numerous artefacts that shed light on life in the region thousands of years ago.
Israeli Minister of Heritage, Amichai Eliyahu, said: "The scarab Ziv found also reminds us that in the Land of Israel, even children can be a part of discovering history."
The young archaeologist and her family have received a certificate of appreciation from the Israel Antiquities Authority.
Eli Escusido, the director of the antiquities authority, praised the family for their discovery.
The ancient scarab will be displayed in a special exhibition by the Israel Antiquities Authority for Passover in mid-April.
Find Out More...