Tel Azekah discovery: 3,800-year-old Canaanite scarab found by child

A three-year-old girl, Ziv Nitzan, discovered a 3,800-year-old Canaanite scarab during a family walk at the Tel Azekah archaeological site in Israel. What initially appeared to be a common stone was identified by experts as a significant historical artifact dating back to the Middle Bronze Age.

The object is carved in the shape of a beetle, a symbol of rebirth in Egyptian culture. Such scarabs were often used as personal amulets for protection or as seals to authenticate documents and goods by pressing the engraved underside into clay.

The family turned the find over to the Israel Antiquities Authority, allowing archaeologists to study the object within its original context. Experts noted that erosion and ground movement at the Tel Azekah site, which overlooks the Elah Valley, can occasionally bring ancient artifacts to the surface.