
Amulets are protective adornments that date back to the beginning of human civilization. Evil eye amulets are perhaps the most globally popular, believed in most cultures to be capable of warding off a hex by reflecting it back to its origins. In some cultures, amulets were devoted to a god or goddess, and the wearer was protected by that divinity. Horns, hands, and the phallus have all been popular amulet shapes throughout history. We know from archaeological discoveries that the inhabitants of the ancient civilizations in Mesopotamia wore amulets. People in that time wore cylindrical seals covered in precious stones, as well as animal talismans to inherit the qualities associated with different animals.
Ancient Egyptian amulets are on display at museums everywhere. They used their amulets in elaborate burial practices. To make the charms, they used faience, which is glazed ground quartz that is usually colored blue-green. The Egyptian royals and priests also wore precious and semi precious gems and crystals as amulets. The eye of Horus was the most significant, and usually this was made of lapis lazuli. Other creations included the lapis lazuli scarab, symbolizing rebirth; the frog, symbolizing fertility; and the ankh, representing eternal life.
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