In the Middle Kingdom, the swrt-bead was often painted on mummy masks and anthropoid coffins. This study examines the carnelian barrel bead amulet in the Middle Kingdom from iconographic and archaeological perspectives. Several forms of the carnelian barrel bead amulet exist, but few studies have focused on the reasons behind these variations. Furthermore, the archaeological context of this type of amulet has been overlooked. Therefore, I clarify that the amulet form changed depending on the date, place, and occasionally, social status of the deceased. Secondly, I consider the ḏrtt-bead by investigating object friezes and archaeological evidence. The results suggest that the cases in which a single carnelian bead was found on the hand of the deceased instead of the neck are not examples of ignoring the funerary literature, but were instead likely placed there as a ḏrtt-bead. This finding emphasizes the importance of the archaeological context when naming objects.
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