Seals and sealing in the ancient world : case studies from the Near East, Egypt, the Aegean, and South Asia

Studies Of Seals And Sealing Practices Have Traditionally Investigated Aspects Of Social, Political, Economic, And Ideological Systems In Ancient Societies Throughout The Old World. Previously, Scholarship Has Focused On Description And Documentation, Chronology And Dynastic Histories, Administrative Function, Iconography, And Style. More Recent Studies Have Emphasized Context, Production And Use, And Increasingly, Identity, Gender, And The Social Lives Of Seals, Their Users, And The Artisans Who Produced Them. Using Several Methodological And Theoretical Perspectives, This Volume Presents Up-to-date Research On Seals That Is Comparative In Scope And Focus. The Cross-cultural And Interdisciplinary Approach Advances Our Understanding Of The Significance Of An Important Class Of Material Culture Of The Ancient World. The Volume Will Serve As An Essential Resource For Scholars, Students, And Others Interested In Glyptic Studies, Seal Production And Use, And Sealing Practices In The Ancient Near East, Egypt, Ancient South Asia And The Aegean During The 4th-2nd Millennia Bce. Introduction: Small Windows, Wide Views / Editors: Ameri, Costello, Jamison, Scott -- Part I. The Ancient Near East & Cyprus -- Administrative Role Of Seal Imagery In The Early Bronze Age: Mesopotamian And Iranian Traders On The Plateau / Holly Pittman -- Slave Labor: Uruk Cylinder Seal Imagery And Early Writing / Sarah Jarmer Scott -- The First Female Bureaucrats: Gender And Glyptic In 4th-3rd Millennia Northern Mesopotamia / Andrew Mccarthy -- Rematerializing The Early Dynastic Banquet Seal / Sarah Kielt Costello -- Sealing Practices In The Akkadian Period / Yelena Z. Rakic -- Authenticity, Seal Recarving, And Authority In The Ancient Near East And Eastern Mediterranean / Joanna Smith -- Part Ii. South Asia And Persian Gulf -- Indus Seals And Glyptic Studies: An Overview / Asko Parpola -- Letting The Pictures Speak: An Image-based Approach To The Mythological And Narrative Imagery Of The Harappan World / Marta Ameri -- Understanding Indus Seal Carving Traditions: A Stylistic And Metric Approach / Gregg M. Jamison -- Operational Sequences And Stamp Seals: A New Approach To Identifying Groups Of Seal Carvers In The Indus Civilization / Adam Green -- Seals And Sealing Technology In The Dilmun Culture: The Post Harappan Life Of The Indus Valley Sealing Tradition / Steffen Laursen -- Part Iii. Egypt -- The Evolution Of Ancient Egyptian Seals And Sealing Systems / Joe Wegner -- Early Dynastic Sealing Practices As Reflection Of State Formation In Egypt? / Ilona Regulski -- Sealings And Seals From Pyramid Age Egypt / John Nolan -- The Administrative Use Of Scarabs During The Middle Kingdom / Daphna Ben Tor -- Middle And New Kingdom Sealing Practice In Egypt And Nubia: A Comparison / Stuart Tyson Smith -- Part Iv. Aegean -- Introductory Remarks, Aegean / Judith Weingarten -- Aegean Bronze Age Sealstones And Fingerrings: Chronology And Functions / John Younger -- An Aegean Seal In Greek Hands? Thoughts On The Perception Of Aegean Seals In The Iron Age / Maria Anastasiadou -- Cryptic Glyptic: Multivalency In Minoan Glyptic Imagery / Erin Mcgowan -- The Magic And The Mundane: The Function Of Talismanic Class Stones In Minoan Crete / Angela Murock Hussein. Edited By Marta Ameri, Sarah Kielt Costello, Gregg Jamison, Sarah Jarmer Scott. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. 03.0_pp_iv_iv_Copyright_page 04.0_pp_v_viii_Contents 05.0_pp_ix_xiv_Notes_on_Contributors 06.0_pp_xv_xviii_Illustrations 07.0_pp_xix_xx_Plates 08.0_pp_xxi_xxii_Tables 09.0_pp_xxiii_xxiv_Acknowledgments 10.0_pp_xxv_xxviii_Preface 11.0_pp_xxix_xxx_Abbreviations 12.0_pp_1_10_Introduction_Small_Windows_Wide_Views 13.0_pp_11_124_The_Ancient_Near_East_and_Cyprus 13.1_pp_13_35_Administrative_Role_of_Seal_Imagery_in_the_Early_Bronze_Age_Mesopotamian_and_Iranian_Traders_on_the_ 13.2_pp_36_53_Slave_Labor_Uruk_Cylinder-Seal_Imagery_and_Early_Writing 13.3_pp_54_67_The_First_Female_Bureaucrats_Gender_and_Glyptic_in_Third-Millennium_Northern_Mesopotamia 13.4_pp_68_80_Rematerializing_the_Early_Dynastic_Banquet_Seal 13.5_pp_81_94_Sealing_Practices_in_the_Akkadian_Period 13.6_pp_95_124_Authenticity_Seal_Recarving_and_Authority_in_the_Ancient_Near_East_and_Eastern_Mediterranean 14.0_pp_125_226_South_Asia_and_the_Gulf_Region 14.1_pp_127_143_Indus_Seals_and_Glyptic_Studies_An_Overview 14.2_pp_144_166_Letting_the_Pictures_Speak_An_Image-Based_Approach_to_the_Mythological_and_Narrative_Imagery_of_the_ 14.3_pp_167_186_Understanding_Indus_Seal-Carving_Traditions_A_Stylistic_and_Metric_Approach 14.4_pp_187_203_Operational_Sequences_and_Stamp_Seals_A_Preliminary_Report_on_an_Experimental_and_Microtopographic_F 14.5_pp_204_226_Seals_and_Sealing_Technology_in_the_Dilmun_Culture_The_Post-Harappan_Life_of_the_Indus_Valley_Sealin 15.0_pp_227_324_Egypt 15.1_pp_229_257_The_Evolution_of_Ancient_Egyptian_Seals_and_Sealing_Systems 15.2_pp_258_270_Early_Dynastic_Sealing_Practices_as_a_Reflection_of_State_Formation_in_Egypt 15.3_pp_271_288_Sealings_and_Seals_from_Pyramid_Age_Egypt 15.4_pp_289_301_The_Administrative_Use_of_Scarabs_during_the_Middle_Kingdom 15.5_pp_302_324_Middle_and_New_Kingdom_Sealing_Practice_in_Egypt_and_Nubia_A_Comparison 16.0_pp_325_400_Aegean 16.1_pp_327_333_Introductory_Remarks_Aegean 16.2_pp_334_354_Aegean_Bronze_Age_Seal_Stones_and_Finger_Rings_Chronology_and_Functions 16.3_pp_355_367_An_Aegean_Seal_in_Greek_Hands_Thoughts_on_the_Perception_of_Aegean_Seals_in_the_Iron_Age 16.4_pp_368_386_Cryptic_Glyptic_Multivalency_in_Minoan_Glyptic_Imagery 16.5_pp_387_400_The_Magic_and_the_Mundane_The_Function_of_Talismanic-Class_Stones_in_Minoan_Crete 17.0_pp_401_450_References 18.0_pp_451_456_Endnotes 19.0_pp_457_468_Index The book is intended for scholars, students, and others interested in glyptic studies, seal production and use, and sealing practices associated with administrative activities in the Ancient Near East, Egypt, Ancient South Asia and the Aegean during the 4th-2nd Millennia BCE. The cross-cultural and interdisciplinary approaches utilized have broad appeal.