General article – Amulets used by ancient Egyptians and Indus Valley People.

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General article – use of amulets in ancient Egyptian society and the Indus Valley civilisation.

It is surprising to note that ancient Egyptians used a large number of amulets to protect the various body parts of a Mummy. A similar situation might have been the case with a living person. He could have also used multiple amulets and talismans to protect him in this world. It is likely that ancient IVC people also could have used similar talismans in their daily life and funeral rituals. The Indus seals found were likely used as amulets for dead people for protection.

The relevance of discussing this issue of amulets is that the Indus Valley people also used many amulets similar to those of the Egyptians, which shows the influence of ancient Egyptian civilisation on the Indus Valley civilisation. It is hard to understand the purpose and use of these amulets. These amulets were used separately for separate body parts and would have been accompanied by a ritual on that day and a bull sacrifice to feed people and priests. The mummification required 40 days for the body to dry thoroughly. Hence, there would have been periodic sacrifices to keep momentum and people together. I have reproduced below a photo from Wikipedia, showing some of the amulets used by the Egyptians.

The above picture is from Wikipedia and gives a general idea about the variety of amulets used by ancient Egyptians. (1) (2)

This picture in Bristol City Museum shows a mummy figure on which various amulets were used. This gives a general idea of how many amulets were used on multiple body parts and the idea behind the use of amulets. (1)

Amulets are objects believed to provide the wearer protection, health, and good luck. Both the living and the dead used them. Ancient Egyptian art, produced from the 6th millennium BC to the 4th century AD, frequently incorporated amulets, highlighting their significance in ensuring well-being.

They are also known as good luck charms. The purpose of amulets was to help the wearer in life. This practice reflects a belief in the power of objects to

influence circumstances and offer a sense of security. (4)

Ancient Egyptians used numerous amulets to protect and ensure a positive afterlife.

These small charms, often worn or placed on the body, were believed to possess magical powers and were used by both the living and the dead to invoke aspects of deities and animals for well-being and safety. (4)

I have already discussed various amulets in separate articles. Hence, I have not given details about individual amulets here. It is only a general article. Read the separate articles for more information.

References

  1. Wikipedia(Plummet-amulet). [Online] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plummet_amulet.
  2. Mogadir. [Online] By Mogadir – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29394851.
  3. Bristol City Museum. [Online] https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=71671235.
  4. Wikipedia(Amulet). [Online] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amulet.