The name on this scarab is Menkare (mn-kꜣw-rꜥ), meaning ‘The established one of the ka of Ra’. Within Egypt’s history there were a few figures with the same name, including pharaoh’s from the 4th and 8th dynasty. Considering the style of the scarab, this amulet is a Late period piece featuring a cartouche honouring the 4th Dynasty pharaoh Menkaure, hellenised as Mykerinos. He was the son of the pharaoh Khafre and the grandson of the pharaoh Khufu, who commissioned the great pyramid of Giza. The smallest of the three pyramids belongs to Menkaure. It was common in the Late period to use cartouches from earlier kings, honouring the ancestry of previous pharaohs.
To discover more about amulets in the Ancient Egyptian world, please visit our relevant post: Amulets in Ancient Egypt.
