Seal Impressions Research Articles

Cherchez la femme: Ancient Israelite Women’s Religion in Light of their Personal Names

In order to add new insights to recent research on women’s religion in ancient Israel, we investigated women’s names that appear in two categories of evidence: names on excavated Iron Age II epigraphic artifacts and names mentioned in First Temple narratives in the Bible. The two groups of names were quantitatively analyzed according to their theophoric content, chronology, and political affiliation. We found only five women’s names on the epigraphic artifacts, all on seals or seal impressions from Jerusalem, reflecting the limited participation of women in the official public sphere. The 40 names of women mentioned in the Bible reveal that while most women’s names do not have a specific form to distinguish them from men’s names, as a group they are different: non-theophoric or non-hypocoristic-theophoric names dominate women’s names, while theophoric, mainly Yahwistic names dominate men’s names. In addition, the prevalence of non-theophoric or non-hypocoristic-theophoric women’s names increases throughout the First Temple period, while among men, the frequency of such names decreases, and the frequency of theophoric, Yahwistic names increases. These results may be interpreted as indicating that while men mostly participated in the cult of the Israelite national god, YHWH, women performed ritual activities related mainly to gods other than YHWH.

Scenes of Men in the Seal Impressions of Tell Abu Sha'af from the Iraqi Museum

The research presents and describes the scenes of men on the seal impressions of Tell Abu Sha'af from the Iraqi Museum, which came from the excavations of the Iraqi mission at the Tell Abu Sha'af site in 1978, which lasted for five months, and revealed 800 clay blocks (Bulla) of different shapes, sizes and colors, and the number of impressions found in a building known as the fortified palace. Some of the impressions are damaged, some are broken, and others are clear, bearing different scenes, based on which they were divided into several groups. The results of the excavations were published in the Sumer magazine in a special issue on the excavations of the Hamrin Dam Basin, and the impressions remained preserved in the stores of the Iraqi Museum, and since then they have not received a study that would reveal their nature and importance. Among the 800 clay blocks discovered at the site of Tell Abu Sha'af, (81) pieces of seal impressions (unpublished) were selected and studied in detail. They were dated by comparison to the period of the Sassanid occupation in Mesopotamia. In this study, we relied on the practical, descriptive and analytical method. Accordingly, these impressions were divided into four main groups (the group of scenes of men, the group of decorations and inscriptions, the group of animal scenes, and the group of mythical creatures). Our research is limited to the first group, which includes scenes of men only, and we chose only twelve models from it. In this study, we relied on the practical, descriptive and analytical method as well as comparison.

Investigating the Scenes of Daily Activities on Ancient Elamite seals during the Susa II Period

A seal is typically made of stone or mineral material, ivory, shell, metal, wood, clay, or a combination of bitumen, and usually bears an engraved design. In this study, we aim to examine and analyze the scenes related to daily activities depicted on Elamite seals. In this research, 29 seal impressions associated with scenes of daily activities from the Susa II period have been investigated and evaluated. The selection of these seal impressions was based on factors such as the clear location of discovery, precise dating, clarity of the designs and scenes on the seal (lack of damage to the engraving), and the credibility of the source providing information about the seal and its impression. In this study, Elamite seals (Susa II) have been compared in terms of iconography, classification, and then with contemporaneous seals in Mesopotamia. Generally, the motifs observed on Elamite seals of the Susa II period that can be classified within the framework of daily activities include: agriculture and cultivation, animal husbandry, issuance and transportation of goods, activities related to grain storage, workshop activities, hunting, and minstrelsy. By examining these motifs, it can be observed that women were often engaged in agricultural activities, work in various workshops such as pottery and weaving, and some activities related to animal husbandry, while men were engaged in more physically demanding and time-consuming tasks; for example, men were more involved in agriculture, hunting, animal husbandry, and laboring.

Moving beyond the Content: 3D Scanning and Post-Processing Analysis of the Cuneiform Tablets of the Turin Collection

This work and manuscript focus on how 3D scanning methodologies and post-processing analyses may help us to gain a deeper investigation of cuneiform tablets beyond the written content. The dataset proposed herein is a key part of the archaeological collection preserved in the Musei Reali of Turin in Italy; these archaeological artefacts enclose further important semantic information extractable through detailed 3D documentation and 3D model filtering. In fact, this scanning process is a fundamental tool for better reading of sealing impressions beneath the cuneiform text, as well as for understanding micrometric evidence of the fingerprints of scribes. Most of the seal impressions were made before the writing (like a watermark), and thus, they are not detectable to the naked eye due to cuneiform signs above them as well as the state of preservation. In this regard, 3D scanning and post-processing analysis could help in the analysis of these nearly invisible features impressed on tablets. For this reason, this work is also based on how 3D analyses may support the identification of the unperceived and almost invisible features concealed in clay tablets. Analysis of fingerprints and the depths of the signs can tell us about the worker’s strategies and the people beyond the artefacts. Three-dimensional models generated inside the Artec 3D ecosystem via Space Spider scanner and Artec Studio software were further investigated by applying specific filters and shaders. Digital light manipulation can reveal, through the dynamic displacement of light and shadows, particular details that can be deeply analysed with specific post-processing operations: for example, the MSII (multi-scale integral invariant) filter is a powerful tool exploited for revealing hidden and unperceived features such as fingerprints and sealing impressions (stratigraphically below cuneiform signs). Finally, the collected data will be handled twofold: in an open-access repository and through a common data environment (CDE) to aid in the data exchange process for project collaborators and common users.

Geomagnetic Field Intensity During the First Millennium BCE From Royal Judean Storage Jars: Constraining the Duration of the Levantine Iron Age Anomaly

AbstractThe rich and extensively studied archaeological record of the Near East provides an opportunity to develop a comprehensive archaeomagnetic dataset for exploring the behavior of the geomagnetic field with high precision. The Levantine archaeomagnetic curve (LAC) project is an ongoing effort to develop a continuous high‐resolution geomagnetic intensity curve for the Levant and Mesopotamia. The first version of the LAC covered the period between 3000 and 550 BCE. Here, we report archaeointensity data from 169 samples compiled into 32 groups dating between the 7th and the 1st centuries BCE aiming at extending the LAC up to the end of the first millennium BCE. Twenty‐two groups are assembled from storage jar handles bearing different types of royal seal impressions, which were used in Judah as part of a taxation administrative system. These groups are combined with 10 other groups of pottery assemblages, three of which are from Hellenistic destruction layers dated using radiocarbon and coins. The new curve shows that the Levantine Iron Age Anomaly (LIAA) spanned 550 years (1100 ‐ 550 BCE) and that the rate of decline during the last spike around 600 BCE could have reached ∼0.6 μT/year. During the 6th century, the virtual axial dipole moment (VADM) dropped from 160 ZAm2 to 125 ZAm2 after which field intensity only slightly increased to 135 ZAm2, until another considerable decline to ∼90 ZAm2 during the 3rd to the 1st centuries BCE. We highlight the archaeomagnetic implication of the new curve in inferring the relative chronological relationship between different stamp types.

Objects of Visual Representation and Local Cultural Idioms

ABSTRACT In this paper, I reconsider the meaning of decorated objects like painted pottery and seal impressions with geometric and image-bearing motifs in prehistoric contexts. In northern Mesopotamia, the 6th millennium b.c., known more broadly as the Halaf Period, is a time when pottery with intricate painted motifs and stamp seals of a remarkably uniform style comprised a notable component of the cultural assemblage across a wide expanse. Following Alfred Gell, and using the site of Tell Kurdu, a peripheral Halaf Period 6th millennium b.c. site located in the Amuq Valley of Hatay, I highlight the ways in which such wares were used, and I strive to view them within their context-dependent settings. The region, on the fringes of this cultural entity provides a unique opportunity to identify a local Amuq identity and the nuances of hybridity that come with the appropriation of new elements of material culture, including Halaf Period painted pottery.

История формирования теоретических основ исследования удостоверительных печатных форм

The article performs a retrospective analysis of seal development, studies history of the establishment of the seal law and the legal consolidation of seal use to protect documents against forgery. It is noted that bearing a seal impression as a document attribute that confi rms its authenticity has rich history and is very diverse. The article also reviews the issues of the establishment of theoretical fundamentals of criminalistic studies of documents, in particular, studies of certifi cation seals and seal impressions within the framework of technical forensic examination of documents. The paper mentions relevant problems of studying seals and stamps that experts face at the contemporary stage

MULTIMEDIA AT MINOAN MYRTOS–PYRGOS, CRETE

The Minoan settlement of Myrtos–Pyrgos on the south coast of Crete has produced five seals (and one unfinished seal), 11 seal impressions on clay vessels, two roundels and one nodulus, as well as two Linear A tablets and two inscriptions on clay vessels. Dating between Early Minoan II and Late Minoan IB, these documents form valuable evidence for the development of sealing, marking and writing practices at a small but important rural settlement, including a penchant for using antique seals for stamping jars. They contribute too to understanding the regional hierarchical and, probably, political cultures of Crete throughout this long period, especially in the late Protopalatial phase of Middle Minoan IIB, when there seems to have been a special relationship with Malia on the north coast, and again in Late Minoan IB, when there was a relationship with Knossos. Finally, the paper discusses a pithos fragment from Tel Haror in Israel, which appears to have an inscription in Cretan Hieroglyphic or Linear A, and may well have been a product of Myrtos or nearby.

A Symbol of Power: Seal Impression with a Soldier and a Bound Captive from Tell Jemmeh

A Symbol of Power: Seal Impression with a Soldier and a Bound Captive from Tell Jemmeh

The Enigmatic mmšt in the lmlk Stamps

The late 8th century BCE lmlk stamp seal impressions on jar handles are among the most distinctive epigraphic findings in Judah. Currently, they comprise more than two thousand provenanced items from throughout the Judahite territory. While three of the four words engraved below the word lmlk, “(belonging) to the king,” refer to well-known Judahite cities—Hebron, Ziph, and Socoh—the fourth—mmšt— remains incomprehensible since it was first sighted in 1868. In this study, I argue that mmšt is not the name of a city but the expression “from (the?) maś’ēt”—masoretized מִמַּשְׂאֵת—spelled without the aleph. The maś’ēt was a huge and unique ad hoc collection of agricultural products initiated by King Hezekiah as part of his preparations for the anticipated invasion of the Assyrian army following his rebellion. These products were subsequently distributed in jars, whose handles were stamped with the inscription “(belonging) to the king – from (the?) maś’ēt.”

The challenges of preserving and managing sulphur-containing plaster casts

This article discusses the significance of certain replicas in museums, focusing on medieval seal impressions from the ‘Hallepoort’ collection at the Royal Military Museum in Brussels, Belgium. We highlight a shift from traditional imprinting methods to casting with plaster and sulphur in the late 19th and early 20th centuries An analysis by the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage confirmed sulphur’s presence, highlighting conservation challenges due to its flammability and potential to cause chemical reactions that could damage surrounding objects. In response, measures such as fire safety protocols, controlled temperature and humidity, and better ventilation are implemented to protect the casts.

AŠMUNİKAL ADININ ANADOLU HİYEROGLİFLERİ İLE YAZIMINA BİR ÖNERİ

Ašmunikal is the wife of Arnuṷanda I, one of the kings of the Middle Hittite period. The name of this queen is found in Hittite documents as well as in Hurrian texts. The name Ašmunikal is interpreted to be of Hurrian origin. However, it is not known exactly how it was written in Anatolian hieroglyphs. This study proposes how the name Ašmunikal might be written in Anatolian hieroglyphs based on the signs on two different seal impressions.

Representation Learning Method for Circular Seal Based on Modified MLP-Mixer.

This study proposes Stamp-MLP, an enhanced seal impression representation learning technique based on MLP-Mixer. Instead of using the patch linear mapping preprocessing method, this technique uses circular seal remapping, which reserves the seals' underlying pixel-level information. In the proposed Stamp-MLP, the average pooling is replaced by a global pooling of attention to extract the information more comprehensively. There were three classification tasks in our proposed method: categorizing the seal surface, identifying the product type, and distinguishing individual seals. The three tasks shared an identical dataset comprising 81 seals, encompassing 16 distinct seal surfaces, with each surface featuring six diverse product types. The experiment results showed that, in comparison to MLP-Mixer, VGG16, and ResNet50, the proposed Stamp-MLP achieved the highest classification accuracy (89.61%) in seal surface classification tasks with fewer training samples. Meanwhile, Stamp-MLP outperformed the others with accuracy rates of 90.68% and 91.96% in the product type and seal impression classification tasks, respectively. Moreover, Stamp-MLP had the fewest model parameters (2.67 M).

BATTLING THE LION: VISUAL COMMEMORATIONS OF CRUSADE IN TWELFTH- AND THIRTEENTH-CENTURY SEALS FROM THE BRITISH ISLES

This article examines a group of five surviving twelfth- and thirteenth-century wax seal impressions from the British Isles that depict a scene of an armed knight in combat with a lion. This seal motif has tenuously been linked with crusading in the past, and so this paper seeks to address the connections between the sigillants and crusade, as well as the significance of commemoration of crusade culture on medieval seals. It highlights numerous links between this specific design and crusading experiences, literature and allegory. This paper focuses on an aspect of the medieval memory of crusade and the means of displaying chivalric, crusading identities within literate culture (on charters and letters) and in personal adornment.

A Seal Impression of ‘ShemaꜤ Servant of Jeroboam’

The article deals with a small bulla of unknown provenance that was purchased some forty years ago in the Bedouin market of Beʾer Sheva. The bulla was stamped with a seal depicting a roaring lion, above which the letters (LSM[Ꜥ]) were straightforwardly identified; it closely resembles the famous ‘ShemaꜤ servant of Jeroboam’ seal from Megiddo. Significantly, this unique bulla represents, to date, the first example of an ancient bulla stamped with a scaled-down authentic seal of a known master-seal of the Iron Age in Israel. The authenticity of the bulla was confirmed by meticulous laboratory tests, verifying both that it is genuine and that its date coincides with that of the ShemaꜤ seal from Megiddo.

Tapeh Tyalineh: a proto-Elamite administrative institution on the Great Khorasan Road, Kermanshah, Western Iran

AbstractThe Mahidasht region is a vital cultural sphere on the Great Khorasan Road that has provided substantial evidence for administrative activity, which is considered to be an indicator of economic and political complexity in late prehistoric societies. This article discusses a corpus of bureaucratic artefacts from the site of Tapeh Tyalineh in the Kouzaran plain in the north of Mahidasht, including 52 jar sealings and 12 door sealings. The artefacts were found during the recent surveys conducted by two of the authors at Tapeh Tyalineh after reports were received of illegal diggings at the site by villagers who had used its soil to plaster the roofs of their houses and to level and cultivate their farmland. Tyalineh seal impressions are studied here in terms of style and iconography in order to date the corpus of administrative artefacts. Furthermore, applying a functionalist approach, the artefacts are examined to answer questions regarding the nature and function of the site. The results suggest that the corpus dates to the proto-Elamite era. The significance of the door sealings, as the most important artefact type from Tyalineh, is that at least a part of the site was devoted to administrative affairs, which probably involved holding certain commodities in rather small closed-mouthed jars and then securing them behind locked doors. The administrative technology not only at Tyalineh but also at Chogha Maran and Dehsavar in Mahidasht and Godin VI:1 in Kangavar attest to well-established Early Bronze Age administrative and economic institutions along the Khorasan Road in the Central Zagros, which were involved in interregional commercial interactions.

The Serpent-Fighting Imagery of Anatolia in the 2nd Millennium BC and Malatya Serpentine Monster in the Light of Newly Published Old Assyrian Seal Impression from Kültepe

The present work deals with serpent-fighting motifs from Anatolia of the second millennium BC reconsidered in the light of recently discovered composition with a serpent-fighting scene on an Old Assyrian seal impression from Kültepe kept at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow (I 2 б 1591). Besides this sealing, the famous representation at the Malatya Relief H (the orthostat AMM 12250) and myths of Illuyanka and Hedammu are compared to each other according to various criteria of depicting the hero, the monster and the fighting scene itself. The scholars often regarded Malatya Relief H as representing the plot of Illuyanka myth, but the discovery of dragon-slaying scene on the Pushkin Museum’s sealing gives grounds for its re-analyzing. It is revealed that the pictorial monuments from Anatolia in contrast to the textual ones depict the hero acting alone; most of Anatolian dragons have front paws. The ultimate fighting is shown in iconography as a close combat struggle while in the narratives the close combat seems to give more advantage to the serpent. The composition similarity of Malatya Relief and the Pushkin Museum’s sealing is demonstrated in general as well as in concrete details. This fact allows to trace the development of the Neo-Hittite dragon-slaying imagery and plots to pre-Hittite times (the dragon-slaying motif as depicted in the orthostat AMM 12250 roots back at least to the 18th century BC when similar features were reflected at the Old Assyrian sealing from the Pushkin Museum I 2 б 1591) and to solve some problems of interpretation for the Malatya Relief H (number of monster’s heads, identification of monster’s parts stretched up to the hero’s figure, possible role of the dagger, etc.).

Методика класифікації сфрагістичних пам’яток (на прикладі сільських печаток Галичини пізньомодерного періоду)

The article deals with the theoretical and practical aspects of the classification of sfragistic monuments. The article reveals the main highly specialized concepts that are required for the scientific description of spragistic material. There are various classification methods for seals. In particular: by type, by carving, by material, by type of image, by legal functions, by the method of sealing, by form, by epochs, by owner. Moreover, each specialist chooses these approaches for the classification of sphragist materials that correspond to the subject and chronological boundaries of the study. The following types of seals are characteristic of the village sphragistics of Galicia: hagiographic, heraldic, vowel, emblematic (symbolic), with an architectural motif, with an arbitrary image, inscription. Most often, there is an emblematic (symbolic) type with an image that has a certain symbolic meaning. Village sphragistics often contain images of human figures or farm scenes with a horse. However, this is no reason to classify seals like portraiture, horse, and foot. After all, most village seals did not represent specific owners of the seals, but symbolic figures. It is also not possible to consider any plot images on seals to be of the coat of arms type. After all, for example, the village communities of Galicia, with some rare exceptions, had no coat of arms. Therefore, their seals usually do not depict a coat of arms, but a village emblem. Only those seals that contain a coat of arms, an element of a coat of arms, or a coat of arms figure can belong to the coat of arms type. Seals with figures taken from the coats of arms of states, administrative units, historical territories, lands, noble coats of arms can be included in this type. The material for impressions of the village seals of Galicia was most often soot and ink, less often – wax. From the 19th century matrices, which have a convex relief (for “wet impression”), along with counter-relief matrices (for wax seals) are becoming more common.

About two seal‐impressed jars from Tell Abraq (Emirate of Umm al‐Quwain). New evidence for intercultural networks in the lower Arabian Gulf in the late 2nd – beginning of the 1st millennium BC

AbstractOngoing excavations at Tell Abraq (Emirate of Umm al‐Quwain, U.A.E.) are revealing new aspects of this multiperiod site, which was occupied from c. 2500 BC to 300 AD. Together with substantial architecture dated to the 2nd and 1st millennia BC, relevant assemblages of archaeological materials are being collected and dated to different phases of the site’s life. Among this material, exceptional is the discovery of two jars bearing the impression of two different cylinder seals, which will be presented here. Seal impressions on any media are extremely rare in the whole of south‐eastern Arabia and strongly indicate a foreign provenance for the jars. Their iconographic study, the fabric and morphological parallels for the jars, and probable chronology will be discussed, as this can highlight transmarine connections during the late 2nd‐first half of the 1st millennium BC, as well as provide new data to address chronological issues in south‐eastern Iran itself.

Wine Jars and Jar Makers of Cyprus: The Ethnoarchaeology of Pitharia

Wine Jars and Jar Makers of Cyprus: The Ethnoarchaeology of Pitharia