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Primary sourceArtifactc. 1330 BCE

Winged Scarab Pectoral of Tutankhamun

c. 1330 BCE

A gold pectoral in the shape of a winged scarab, spelling out Tutankhamun's throne name, found among his burial jewellery.

This pectoral was made for and owned by Tutankhamun, spelling out his throne name in gold and semi-precious stones.

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Gold winged scarab pectoral with a central blue lapis lazuli scarab beetle, outspread gold wings inlaid with blue and colored stones, Eye of Horus motifs, and a row of hanging gold and inlaid pendants against a dark blue background.
Winged scarab pectoral of Tutankhamun, c. 1330 BCE. Grand Egyptian Museum, Giza.

About this source

What it is

Made around 1330 BCE, this pectoral combines gold, lapis lazuli, and other inlaid stones in the shape of a winged scarab beetle carrying symbols including the Eye of Horus. It is held today at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza.

Why it matters

The design spells out Tutankhamun's throne name, Nebkheperure, using hieroglyphic symbols for a basket, scarab, and the sun god Re. Pieces like this show how Egyptian jewellery was not only decorative but carried religious and political meaning, linking the king to the sun god and protective solar symbolism.

Look closer

  • Can you spot the hieroglyphs that spell the king's name?
  • Why might a king want solar symbols on his jewellery?
  • What skills and materials would have been needed to make this object?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Tutankhamun on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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c. 1333 BCE

Black and white photograph of a wooden figure wearing a striped royal headdress with a uraeus cobra, crossed arms holding ceremonial objects, and hieroglyphic inscriptions in columns on the lower body.Photograph

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Photograph of Tutankhamun's Shawabti Figure

Harry Burton · 1920s

Interior wall of an Egyptian tomb painted gold, with rows of painted baboon figures and hieroglyphs in boxed panels, a boat scene at top left, and a painted standing figure of a pharaoh at right. A glass display case is visible at the bottom.Artifact

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14th century BCE

Black and white photograph of two men inside a tomb opening the carved, hieroglyph-covered gilded doors of a shrine. One man in a light cap kneels and reaches toward the doors, while another man in a jacket leans over from the right. Carved relief figures and inscriptions cover the panels.Photograph

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Opening the Doors of the Fourth Shrine in Tutankhamun's Tomb

Harry Burton · 1920s

Photo of the Restoration Stela, a tall round-topped reddish stone stele in a museum with carved relief figures at the top and rows of hieroglyphic text below, with a diagonal crack running through it.Document

Primary source

Restoration Stela

Tutankhamun · c. 1326 BCE

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