Development of Cylinder Seal in Old Mesopotamia

A seal made of solid material is used to prevent unauthorized persons from accessing or damaging them. In addition, the seal was not only used to certify sealed documents, but also as a means of protecting people from evil. Cylinder seals in Mesopotamia are generally made of stone, but are also made of tiles, glass, baked clay, wood, bone, seashell, elephant tusk or mine. The cylindrical seal forms a continuous scene when the picture depicted is rolled over a soft material such as clay, wax or baked clay. While the cylinder seal did not initially have a longitudinal hole, the center of the cylinder was pierced by changing conditions of time and became movable on the waist and wrist. The subjects depicted on the cylinder seals and the materials on which they are made vary from region to region. For example, during the Uruk and Jemdet Nasr periods, the use of white or pink marble was common; Most of the long, thin cylinder seals with geometric motifs are made of tiles or glazed steatite. Fine brocade-style seals of the Early Early Dynasties were usually made of black, blue, green lime stones or dark serpentines. In the second Early Dynasty period, translucent white, green serpentine, aragonite, calcite and shell cores were used. One of the main reasons for this material change is the fact that the required materials are imported due to the scarcity of precious stones in the region.

Keywords

Ancient History, Cylinder Seal, Terracotta, Precious Stone, Engraving.