12-year-old girl unearths ancient Egyptian amulet on a hike
- 12-year-old Dafna Filshteiner found an ancient Egyptian amulet while hiking in Tel Aviv.
- The amulet dates back 3,500 years and features designs that symbolize ancient Egyptian culture.
- Dafna's discovery highlights the importance of recognizing and preserving archaeological finds.
In Israel, a young girl named Dafna Filshteiner made a remarkable discovery while hiking in a suburb of Tel Aviv. She stumbled upon a small stone shaped like a dung beetle, which she believed to be special despite her mother's initial dismissal of it as an ordinary stone. Upon further inspection, they identified the stone as an ancient Egyptian amulet after conducting research online. This incident took place around December 4, 2024, as per the reports from the Israel Antiquities Authority. The amulet, dated to approximately 3,500 years ago during Egypt’s New Kingdom period, showcases intricate designs including two scorpions, the hieroglyph 'nefer', and a motif resembling a royal staff. Expert Yitzhak Paz explained that the scorpions symbolize the Egyptian goddess Serket, who protects pregnant women, while 'nefer' signifies 'good' or 'chosen'. This find is significant as it indicates the influence of ancient Egyptian culture in the region that is now modern Israel during a time when the Pharaoh’s rule extended into this area. Dafna's persistence in having her find checked led to the involvement of the Israel Antiquities Authority, which commended her and her family for recognizing the artifact's importance and for turning it in, rather than keeping it. This action granted them a certificate of excellence for good citizenship. The significance of the amulet goes beyond its age; it adds to the understanding of the Egyptian influence in the Yarkon area, especially considering the depiction of well-known Egyptian iconography on the scarab. The scarab carries considerable cultural weight as it was considered sacred by the Egyptians, representing new life due to the creature's behavior of laying eggs in dung. Dr. Amit Dagan and Ayelet Dayan, who are involved in ongoing excavations at Tel Qana, noted that this finding offers fresh insights into the historical connections between ancient Egypt and the region. The complete find will later be displayed at the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein National Campus for the Archaeology of Israel to share its story with the public and emphasize the importance of conserving archaeological heritage.