Sardinia, Etruria, Cyprus and the Phoenician homeland : reflections on distribution, chronology, typology and iconography of Scarabs from a ‘Tyrian Group’

A particular type of scarab-shaped seals, displaying distinct typological features, has surfaced throughout the Mediterranean, from Sardinia to Cyprus and the Levant. An examination of their typological characteristics, the archaeological contexts in which they were found and the iconographical designs with which they are decorated point towards a Phoenician origin. This paper builds on a recently published article (2014) discussing the geographical distribution and the Phoenician character of the group and the likely location of the “workshop(s)” that manufactured these scarabs. Here, special attention is paid to chronological issues