{"id":93307,"date":"2026-02-16T09:23:45","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T14:23:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/?p=93307"},"modified":"2026-02-16T12:49:51","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T17:49:51","slug":"phoenician-scarab-sardinia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biblicalarchaeology.org\/daily\/ancient-cultures\/phoenician-scarab-sardinia\/","title":{"rendered":"Phoenician Scarab Discovered in Sardinia"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Base of Phoenician Iron Age steatite scarab seal found at Nuraghe Ruinas in Sardinia, Italy. Courtesy Soprintendenza Sassari e Nuoro.<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

A small object with a big story has emerged from the excavations at Nuraghe Ruinas in Sardinia, Italy. The Superintendency of Archaeology for the Sassari and Nuoro provinces in Sardinia reported on Facebook<\/a> that, during recent archaeological work in the area, archaeologists uncovered a remarkable Iron Age artifact\u2014a scarab seal. Likely originating from ancient Phoenicia (modern day Lebanon), this small but significant object provides tangible evidence of the commercial and cultural networks at work in the biblical world.<\/p>\n

The scarab found at Nuraghe Ruinas is made of steatite and is engraved with hieroglyphic characters. The team has not yet described the inscription or iconography, but the hieroglyphs strongly suggest eastern Mediterranean craftsmanship or influence. Further, the discovery is not isolated. Similar scarabs have been found at S\u2019Arcu \u2019e Is Forros, about 5 miles from Nuraghe Ruinas, and at Nuraghe Nurdole, between Orani and Nuoro. Taken together, these finds suggest sustained interaction between the ancient inhabitants of Sardinia (the Nuragic civilization) and Phoenician traders<\/a> operating across the Mediterranean basin.<\/p>\n

What Are Scarabs?<\/h4>\n

Scarabs are small ancient artifacts modeled after the dung beetle<\/a>. These objects, which connoted status, were typically made of stone or faience. While sometimes worn as jewelry or amulets, scarabs primarily functioned as seals<\/a>. The tops were carved to resemble a beetle and their flat undersides were often inscribed with symbols or names, pressed into clay to stamp documents and goods.<\/p>\n

Sardinia at the Crossroads of the Mediterranean<\/h4>\n

Sardinia is a large island in the western Mediterranean Sea, situated about halfway between the Italian Peninsula and the coast of North Africa. In antiquity, Sardinia was strategically located along a major maritime trade route linking the eastern Mediterranean\u2014including Phoenicia and the Levant\u2014with North Africa<\/a> and Iberia<\/a>. Phoenician contact with Sardinia intensified from the ninth to eighth centuries BCE. In the Levant, this period overlaps with the era of the Israelite monarchy and the later divided kingdoms (c. 1000\u2013586 BCE).<\/p>\n

Trade in the Biblical World<\/h4>\n

Sardinia\u2014rich in copper, lead, and silver\u2014was an important partner in Iron Age Mediterranean exchange networks. Phoenician merchants were the most renowned seafarers of the ancient world. They established trade routes and settlements stretching from the Levant to North Africa and the western Mediterranean and are even credited with standardizing and disseminating the alphabet<\/a>. The same networks that carried Egyptian-style scarabs to Sardinia also connected to Levantine cities like Tyre<\/a> and Sidon<\/a>, both of which play central roles in the Hebrew Bible, including the supply of cedar for Solomon\u2019s Temple<\/a>. Biblical figures participated in long-distance commerce, political alliances, and cultural exchange.<\/p>\n

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