Fabula
Object
Object

Marion Ravenwood's Sun Medallion (broken fragment / headpiece piece)

A gold, sun-shaped medallion fragment carried by Marion Ravenwood — the jagged-bottom piece she reveals to Indiana Jones. The broken fragment is the authentic headpiece segment used to calibrate the Staff of Ra (and thereby locate the Well of Souls in Tanis). It appears both as Marion's personal proof/leverage in early scenes and later under Nazi scrutiny in the Tanis command tent (handled by Belloq, Gobler, Belzig, Shliemann), where its engraved details and burn-mark evidence are pivotal to the plot.
8 appearances

Purpose

Clue artifact; broken segment of a larger medallion used to locate the Ark of the Covenant

Significance

MacGuffin linking Marion's grief over her father to Indy's quest. She controls it, demanding money and trust from Indy, forging their tense alliance amid the saloon brawl.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

8 moments
S1E1 · RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
Marion Purges The Raven — The Broken Sun and a Price

The broken, sun-shaped gold medallion is the scene's McGuffin: Marion wears it concealed; it is referenced during bargaining and finally revealed physically at scene's end, confirming Marion's custody of a crucial piece needed by Indy and raising the stakes of his quest.

Before: Worn by Marion around her neck, partially concealed by a scarf.
After: Revealed in Marion's hand and on her chain; remains in her possession, now known to Indy and the audience.
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S1E1 · RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
Bargain, Bite, and the Sun

Marion's sun-shaped golden medallion — the exact object Indy seeks — is kept hidden beneath her scarf until the final private beat when she removes the scarf to reveal and examine it, converting the public negotiation into an intimate, ominous pivot.

Before: Concealed beneath Marion's scarf around her neck; not visible to patrons.
After: Revealed and lifted into Marion's hand for inspection; remains in her possession but now known to be present.
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S1E1 · RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
Marion's Hidden Sun: The Medallion Revealed

The gold sun-shaped medallion — bottom broken — is concealed beneath Marion's scarf throughout the bargaining. Only after Indy leaves does Marion loosen the scarf and lift the medallion into her hand, privately confirming that she possesses the very artifact Indy seeks and reframing the negotiation as intimate and contested.

Before: Hidden under Marion's scarf around her neck; out of view and used as private leverage.
After: Revealed publicly (to the reader/viewer) when Marion loosens the scarf and inspects it; remains in Marion's possession.
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S1E1 · RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
Ashes and Alliance: Marion Claims the Medallion

The broken sun-shaped medallion — hot from the ashes — is retrieved by Marion and becomes the narrative pivot: she converts financial loss into archaeological leverage and declares herself Indy's partner, changing their relationship and the immediate stakes.

Before: Hidden in the wooden box with the five grand, concealed under cloth inside Marion's possession.
After: In Marion's hand, hot from the flames and serving as her new bargaining chip and claim to the quest.
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S1E1 · RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
Flames, the Medallion, and a Reluctant Partnership

The broken sun-shaped medallion is the emotional and narrative pivot: Marion digs through ash, retrieves the still-warm talisman from her blouse, and uses it as both leverage and a symbol of personal stake—declaring herself Indy's partner while clutching it.

Before: Concealed in Marion's blouse or scarf as a secreted piece of her father's collection.
After: In Marion's possession and scalding hot; she holds it up possessively and uses it to make a claim on the joint venture.
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S1E1 · RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
Wrong Spot — The Staff Miscalculation

The sun medallion's continuation across the break provides the final script line Amir reads ('one jamir to honor...'), enabling the complete measurement that proves Belloq's error. The medallion functions as both clue and narrative link to Marion and prior scenes.

Before: Broken sun medallion present on the table as part of the headpiece/missing section; in group custody.
After: Remains in the group's possession on the table after the reading.
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S1E1 · RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
Belloq Undermined — Marion Targeted

Marion's broken sun medallion is not physically present but is evoked symbolically—the burned sun-shaped scar on Belzig's palm visually references it and transforms the object into a mark of violent knowledge and a reason to target Marion.

Before: In Marion's possession offstage; its image exists in the men's memory and on Belzig's scar.
After: Remains Marion's object but becomes a sign used to justify coercion; its symbolic power is reinforced by Belzig's scar.
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S1E1 · RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
Belzig Is Summoned — The Interrogator Enters

The sun-shaped medallion is not physically present, but Belzig’s burned scar in its exact shape acts as a chilling reminder of the medallion’s power and the human cost tied to the Ark; it functions as a symbolic prop that validates threat and brutality.

Before: Held by Marion elsewhere; known to participants as the original piece; its imprint exists as a scar on Belzig.
After: Remains a symbolic fulcrum — the scar marks the connection between artifact and violence and legitimizes the use of interrogation.
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