Mesopotamian Cylinder Seal

Description

Cylinder seals from ancient Mesopotamia (now Iraq) are the topic of a Benton County Historical Society blog at goo.gl/CTSsQ3. Originally people sealed containers by placing a glob of clay over the opening, and stamping it with a flat stone with a simple design which identified the owner. As population and bureaucracy increased, more complex seals were needed. Beginning about 3500 BCE, people found they could include more symbols by carving a design into a cylinder which was rolled across the wet clay to create a long, frieze-like impression. Oregon State University intern (MS Applied Anthropology) Katie Nuss created the 3d model with the help of Alex Nyers (Northwest Archaeometrics) in May 2017.