Scarab

Vrhnika was once a crossroads of many routes, so it's no wonder that travellers often left behind valuable pieces of their cultures here. Even the Egyptians.

The discovery of the scarab in Vrhnika (2006) is the first such discovery in the Slovenian territory. It confirms the commercial character of the settlement Nauportus (Vrhnika), the main activity of which was trade over long distances. The scarab was probably brought to Nauportus as a souvenir from a trip or was lost here by a trader or a traveller, who wore it as an amulet for good luck. The discovery dates back to the 1st–2nd century AD.

The scarab – dung beetle, which according to the Egyptian mythology rolls the sun across the sky, was the most important form of amulet in ancient Egypt. The scarab was an Egyptian symbol of the sun, the resurrection of the dead; it represented vitality and protected against spells. A pendant in the form of a scarab was worn on a string or metal wire around a finger or neck.

At TIC Vrhnika you can find replicas of the scarab in the form of jewellery (with certificate). The original is kept by the City Museum of Ljubljana.