A group of archaeologists has discovered an Egyptian scarab from the XXVI dynasty during the excavations of the necropolis of El Toro in Alcubillas, a small municipality in the province of Ciudad Real. This archaeological site was revealed in 1983 when the tomb of an important Iberian prince was discovered. This member of the elite of the Oretan hierarchy was buried with a multitude of items of various kinds that have been found in total; some 5,000 pieces were extracted between 2016 and 2017.
Among the objects discovered, the scarab, an amulet of life and power that represented the rising sun and was a symbol of resurrection in Egyptian mythology, stands out. The scarab carries a royal cartouche of an Egyptian pharaoh of the XXVI dynasty and can now be seen in the exhibition “Atempora” of the Museum of Ciudad Real. This discovery is exceptional because it would turn this orientalizing necropolis into one of the oldest ritual spaces of cremation in the oretan hierarchy in the province of Ciudad Real.
The group of professionals who carried out the discovery is composed of archaeologists, forensic experts, and experts in conservation, restoration, and scientific studies of archaeological heritage. The work in the necropolis will continue over the next few months, when the results of the excavations and the long and exhaustive research carried out over the last five years will be presented to the scientific community.
José Luis Fuentes Sánchez, project director of the company Oppida, and one of the two archaeologists who led the team that discovered it, concluded that this place has many parallels with other emblematic findings such as the Monumento de Pozo Moro, another tomb from the Iberian period that was found in Chinchilla de Montnearagón (Albacete). The discovery of the Egyptian scarab in Alcubillas is exceptional because no objects from this culture had ever been found in the area. This finding is further proof of the cultural and commercial influences that existed between different regions of the ancient world.