Heart Scarab

Dr. Stuart Tyson Smith found a heart scarab associated with the intact burial in Unit 35. It lay under the neck of the mummy where it probably fell as the wrappings decayed. Heart scarabs are rare and indicate her elite status. They were inscribed with a spell from the Book of the Dead that ensured that the deceased’s heart/soul would not betray her in the Netherworld during the final judgment:

 “Oh my heart of my mother! Oh my heart of my mother! … Do not oppose me in the tribunal! Do not show your hostility against me before the Keeper of the Balance! For you are my ka which is in my body, the protector who causes my limbs to be healthy! Go forth to the good place to which we hasten!”