A large (3-10cm) "heart scarab" (above) was suspended from the mummy's neck with a gold wire or chain, not only as a token of resurrection, but as an advocate to help the deceased to present his defense before the tribunal. These scarabs were often made with green stone (basalt, schist, jade, etc.), for green was an auspicious color.
On their flat basis is inscribed in hieroglyphs a particular chapter from the Book of the Dead which invokes the "heart of [one's] mother", and this expression probably designates the heart scarab.
The scarab has remained a favorite amulet throughout history, and hundreds of thousands of these tiny figures have been found in the Egyptian soil. Most often, their flat base is engraved with a beneficial inscription, which enhances their auspicious power.
The most famous of these formulae is the "praenomen" of pharaoh Thutmosis III: Men Kheper Re, although extremely difficult to translate, is something deciphered
"Re stays and becomes, Hidden and Manifested."
The combination of hieroglyphs can also be read "Amun," name of the Great God of Thebes. In this particular mode of reading, the hieroglyph of the sun was read aten instead of re, and only the first letter was retained:
A; the hieroglyph men was read M, and the hieroglyph of the scarab was read neter "divine," instead of kheper.
It became A-M-N, (Amun!)
Some of these well carved amulets, served as seals to mark properties. Kings and commoners used such small scarabs alike; The rich had them mounted in gold rings, while the poor simply attached them to a rope.
In addition to the small scarab seals, we know of much larger (5-12 cm) scarabs that were made for the kings. The best known are those of Amenophis III (1391-1353 B.C.), which have been issued to commemorate important events of his reign, e.g. his marriage with Queen Tiye. (Below)
http://www.insects.org/ced2/beetles_rel_sym.html
"...The name of her father is Yuya. The name of her mother is Tuyu..."
Commemorative scarab announcing the marriage of Tiye to Neb-Maat-Re
Amenhotep III, which emphatically proclaims the names of her parents.
Photo Credit:
Scarab from Alexandre Herrero Pardo's
Los Nobles de Egypto website
(Los documentos Yuya y Tuya)
