Scarab - The particular species of beetle represented in the numerous ancient Egyptian amulets and works of art was commonly the large sacred scarab (Scarabeus sacer). They become enormously popular for the rest of pharaonic period and beyond. This beetle was famous for his habit of rolling balls of dung along the ground and depositing them in its burrows. They survive in large numbers and, through their inscriptions and typology; they are an important source of information for archeologists and historians of the Ancient world. This creative aspect of the scarab was associated with the creator god Atum. By the early New Kingdom heart scarabs had become part of the battery of amulets protecting mummies.