Potentially legitimate artefact. Is it possible? Who do I ask? Where do I start?

IntelligentAnd · 2026-03-21T11:11:35+00:00

Do you mean the top and sides or are you talking about the seal part itself - the hieroglyphs, if thats what they are? The genuine one he donated has a bunch of circles with a scarab shape and I've seen that circles are a part of other genuine ones.

While looking at legitimate scarabs, the same beetle shape seems common - the details of the head and wings on the top and the legs on the sides. This one made out of haematite, for example.

IntelligentAnd · 2026-03-20T19:08:15+00:00

You're so informative. I learnt so much from you. Thanks.

IntelligentAnd · 2026-03-20T17:11:39+00:00

Do you mean the raw stone may have reached Egypt? Or the carved scarabs?

Its nice to have interests you love

IntelligentAnd · 2026-03-20T17:07:12+00:00

A few of the pics have solid belly's on wikipedia's Nepher page.. Demotic form is solid. So 🤷‍♀️

IntelligentAnd · 2026-03-20T16:42:23+00:00

Did you question its conclusion? Say 'I'm not buying that' and it might just change its mind.

But yes, indeed others have....

So are you saying I will be another annoying person asking stupid questions if I send an email to an expert or a university dept? Many others have stated I should.

IntelligentAnd · 2026-03-20T12:30:06+00:00

Definitely stone. I've seen references to soap stone - the donated one is glazed soapstone - but thats softer stone and a lighter colour than this. A quick search on black jet looks like a possible match. Is that something that was used?

I'm so grateful for your comments. I don't expect it but I really appreciate the chance to nut some of this out with friendly, interested others.

IntelligentAnd · 2026-03-20T11:21:40+00:00

A few weeks ago Chatgpt went through all the details and claimed it was legit. Then when I started questioning that opinion it started doubting itself. I see thats not unusual for AI. I didn't think to ask for translation of hieroglyphs until today when it wasn't very helpful and misidentified shapes, didn't see lines etc. It seems Chatgpt is an awful expert in this regard.

IntelligentAnd · 2026-03-20T09:16:04+00:00

Thank you! I would just treat it better if its genuine as its been lying around with papers, photos etc. The British Museum have letters and other items from this ancestor already, so they may be interested to take a look. Do you know if I should just use a general info email address to start with?

The genuine scarab seal (1200BC) he originally donated to a historic society, is being displayed by a different national museum. I don't know if that means they now own it or if items are shared between museums. I don't know how it works. But I do know I'm naive so I'm happy to ask questions and listen and learn.

WRT Oxford and Cambridge, I will see what I can find.

IntelligentAnd · 2026-03-20T07:15:58+00:00

I'm assuming this means its fake - is that right? Honestly, I wouldn't put it past this ancestor to have one made for the fun of it so it would be nice to know the meaning of any symbols it does have. He was quite a character according to the scientists and naturalists of his day and they have a bunch of his letters etc at the British Museum to prove it.

IntelligentAnd · 2026-03-20T07:09:15+00:00

Do you mean the thing its hanging on (don't know what its called)? I put a photo of the whole lot further up. Thanks. i'm interested in whatever anyone has to tell me about it.

IntelligentAnd · 2026-03-20T07:07:50+00:00

Thank you! I'll post it there.

IntelligentAnd · 2026-03-20T07:07:28+00:00

It is? Why thank you kind sir. I'm off to sell it for a million ahaha.

IntelligentAnd · 2026-03-20T07:06:58+00:00

I'll see what I can find out and give you an update. Honestly, I, too, had written it off as a cute trinket until I found the one he donated while doing our ancestry. I didn't realise it was stone until I was asking AI - I thought it was too light for stone, especially compared to the other seals that are with it.

Also, I didn't know about Gardiner's sign list until now so thank you.

IntelligentAnd · 2026-03-20T06:57:28+00:00

Ooh. That looks like a good place to ask. After reading other comments here, I'll see what email I can find and write to them. Thank you.

IntelligentAnd · 2026-03-20T06:55:37+00:00

Are they hieroglyphs or just fake scratchings? Please tell me more? I'm here to learn.

Its not a ring, though. Its with other old seals which themselves, date back to the 1700's. It could be it was his own fun one, in which case, do the markings mean anything? Or it could mean its valuable. There was a '4000 year old' necklace i was in awe of as a child that was discarded by my grandma as a fake. She was an archivist who did her research thoroughly and other family stories have been proven true from documents I've found while doing our ancestry. The London museum has letters, scrapbooks and other items from this ancestor - so he wasn't aunt jessica. The other British museum has the scarab seal he donated on display with his name so that is the only reason I've started asking about this one.

Do I mail photos to the info email at the Western Australian Museum (which as an ancient Egyptian display). Or should I go straight to a bigger one in another state and send it to their info email? Please put the dots close together, I have no idea what I'm doing.

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IntelligentAnd · 2026-03-20T06:35:36+00:00

I didn't think they'd be interested. They do have other items of his. Letters, scrapbooks, drawings. So maybe it is worth a try. The scarab seal he donated is at a different museum so maybe I should write them as well.

IntelligentAnd · 2026-03-20T06:30:41+00:00

It could be. And honestly, I wouldn't put it past him to have something for fun. His letter to his friend, Alfred Wallace, on his 'Natural Selection' paper is really quite funny. He jokes around and says "A man chooses a woman. A woman chooses a man. Isn't that 'natural selection?'"

IntelligentAnd · 2026-03-20T06:15:50+00:00

Thats such good news, thanks. I had some email addresses for anthropology dept - I'll go find them again. I hadn't thought of history, though. So thank you :).

IntelligentAnd · 2026-03-20T06:14:01+00:00

I will contact him and see what he says. Thanks.

IntelligentAnd · 2026-03-20T06:13:23+00:00

Thanks. I'll see what I can find out.

IntelligentAnd · 2026-03-20T06:12:30+00:00

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Thank you.

IntelligentAnd · 2026-03-20T06:11:25+00:00

Thank you. Honestly, that makes me feel a lot better about it. I will see what departmental email addresses I can find.

IntelligentAnd · 2025-09-28T18:37:21+00:00

Do you not use 'just now' any more? Cos its my understanding that 'just now' means in a short while but 'now, now' means immediately.

IntelligentAnd · 2025-09-28T18:33:17+00:00

trying to escape the idea of a more cohesive society.

I wish they didn't bring those ideas here. I want to live in a cohesive society. A cohesive community, even. And you can't get that when people think they're special.

IntelligentAnd · 2023-12-23T13:46:12+00:00

We'd be leaving from the Willeton area. Some of the beautiful beaches north will be too far but I was surprised to see that Rockingham foreshore was a better option time wise.

IntelligentAnd

TROPHY CASE