Impression seal

The impression seal is a common seal that leaves an impression, typically in clay (but not excluding the obvious "wax impression seals"). In antiquity they are common, because they represent "themes" of the society.

The two most common types are the "cylinder seal" and the "stamp seal". There are many cylinder seals, with religious or mythological themes; a famous one depicts Darius I. Stamp seals include the LMLK seals from Lachish (ca 700 BC) and seals in Tell Halaf.

Others, less common, include the Egyptian, Levantine, or Canaanite "scaraboid seals", and the "metal stamp seal".

expand-section
#the "Authority", or "authorization" of impression seals
#the themes represented by those seals
date=September 2005

References

*"Cuneiform Texts in the Metropolitan Museum of Art: Tablets, Cones, and Bricks of the Third and Second Millennia B.C.," vol. 1 (New York, 1988). The final section(Bricks) of the book concerns "Cylinder Seals"", with a Foreword describing the purpose of the section as to instigate "Research into Cylinder Seals." The 'cylinder sealing' on the Bricks, was done multiple times per brick. Some are of high quality, and some are not.

ee also

*Bulla (seal)