aded ▁strings ▁were ▁attached . ▁The ▁other ▁ends ▁of ▁the ▁strings ▁were ▁tied ▁to ▁a ▁counter weight ▁that ▁d ang led ▁on ▁the ▁wear er ' s ▁back . ▁The ▁a eg is ▁was ▁often ▁made ▁of ▁f ai ence , ▁but ▁other ▁materials ▁as ▁varied ▁as ▁le ather ▁and ▁bronze ▁were ▁also ▁used . ▁It ▁was ▁often ▁ins cribed ▁or ▁bore ▁dep ict ions ▁of ▁de ities ▁associated ▁with ▁H ath or . ▁ ▁The ▁neck lace ▁was ▁meant ▁to ▁ensure ▁good ▁luck ▁and ▁fortune ▁and ▁to ▁protect ▁against ▁evil ▁spirits . ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁worn ▁for ▁protection ▁in ▁the ▁after life ▁and ▁is ▁often ▁found ▁buried ▁with ▁the ▁dead , ▁given ▁as ▁a ▁grave ▁gift ▁since ▁Ram ess ide ▁times ▁( the ▁Nin ete enth ▁and ▁Tw enti eth ▁D ynast ies ▁that ▁compr ise ▁the ▁last ▁two - third s ▁of ▁the ▁period ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁New ▁Kingdom ). ▁W orn ▁by ▁women , ▁it ▁was ▁expected ▁to ▁fost er ▁fruit ful ness ▁and ▁good ▁health , ▁while ▁among ▁men ▁it ▁sign ified ▁vir ility . ▁ ▁Foot notes ▁ ▁References ▁Robert ▁A . ▁Arm our , ▁God s ▁and ▁M yth s ▁of ▁An cient ▁Egypt , ▁American ▁Un iv . ▁in ▁C airo ▁Press ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁George ▁Hart , ▁The ▁Rout ledge ▁Dictionary ▁Of ▁Egypt ian ▁God s ▁And ▁God d esses , ▁Rout ledge ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁Man f res ▁L ur ker , ▁Lexikon ▁der ▁G öt ter ▁und ▁Sym bo