The Ancient Egypt Dung beetles are so called because of their habit of consuming dung. These beetles feed partly or wholly on dung. The ancient Egypt dung beetle holds special significance in history. This is because ancient Egyptians considered them sacred.
Also known as a scarab, these beetles do not eat or drink anything else. The dung that they eat provides them with all the necessary nutrients. How these beetles obtain food is a very interesting phenomenon.
Process
They look for dung and on finding it, roll it into a ball. The ball of dung is then rolled by the beetle to its burrow. They either consume the roll of dung or use it for brooding. The male deposits his semen into the ball. Then he pushes it into the burrow where the female comes and deposits her egg.
The larvae form and grow inside this ball, consuming the dung when needed. One of the parents usually stands guard as this happens. After eating all the dung, the young beetles come out of the burrow.
The ancient Egyptians were unaware of the existence of female dung beetles. They thought that these beetles were born on their own, out of nothing! They believed that the male deposited their sperm into the ball, rolled it and after some days new beetles would come out of it.
They associated these habits of the dung beetle to Khepri, the God of rising sun. the self-creation of beetles resembled the self-creation of Khepri. They believed that each day Khepri rolled the sun across the sky, taking it into the other world and bringing it back the next day.
The dung beetles’ act of rolling dung was similar to Khepri’s act of rolling the sun. Thus, the dung beetle began to hold a sacred place in the lives of ancient Egyptians.
Images and structures of the scarab beetle in gold, ivory, stone, and bone have been excavated. Many images show the beetle as a symbol of the rising sun. Many used them as seals.
Ancient Egypt dung beetle scarab The ‘heart scarab’:
The scarab or dung beetle held great significance in the funerary cult of ancient Egypt. Figures of the beetle were cut out from green stone and placed on the chest of the dead. Hence the name ‘heart beetle’.
The purpose of the beetle was to ensure that the heart did not bear allegiance against the dead in the Hall of Judgment just before his afterlife.
History of Ancient Egypt Dung Beetle
The history of ancient Egyptian dung beetles makes for an interesting read. These beetles exist even today. A friend of the farmers, dung beetles connects us to the ancient Egyptian world.
