The Production of Middle Bronze Age Steatite Scarabs from the Southern Levant: A Chaîne Opératoire Approach

Steatite scarabs were the most common type of seal amulets in Egypt and the southern Levant during the 2nd millennium BCE. Past scholarship attempted to create criteria for the identification of Egyptian vs. Canaanite scarabs, emphasizing mostly their typological and iconographic features, while other aspects of their production have largely been disregarded. This article examines the production of steatite scarabs from the southern Levant, using the chaîne opératoire theoretical and methodological framework, in which each phase of the production sequence is analyzed separately. The presented results of this analysis include a detailed account of the techniques and tools employed in their creation, a general estimation of the location of their centers of production, and potential connections between steatite scarab production and other ancient industries. While the social contexts of production are highlighted, it is noted that further research is needed to elaborate upon the relationship between Levantine and Egyptian artisans.

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