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Stone Scorpion: E.11.1898

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Current Location: Gallery 20

Titles

Stone Scorpion

Entities

Categories

Description

Stone figure of a scorpion. One of several found in this temple deposit and possibly a reference to the 'Scorpion King' who ruled before Narmer (the first king whose name we know). Scopions were also believed to protect as well as threaten. Here, in a royal context it seems more likely that the animal protected the king because of its close association with early Egyptian royalty. This type of stone is called steatite and was only used for smaller scale objects such as this. It is a soft stone and easy to carve.

Measurements and weight

Height: 10.5 cm

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (1898) by Egyptian Research Account

Dating

Predynastic
Early Dynastic
About -3000 - About -2500

Materials used in production

Steatite

Techniques used in production

Carved

References and bibliographic entries

Related exhibitions

Identification numbers

Accession number: E.11.1898
Primary reference Number: 49551
Oldadmincategory: S

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Friday 18 July 2025

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Antiquities

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "Stone Scorpion" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/49551 Accessed: 2025-12-05 20:13:19

Citation for Wikipedia

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{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/49551 |title=Stone Scorpion |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-05 20:13:19|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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