Catalog Number: 156705.nosub
Description: Cylinder seal
Notes: Four towering animals with two figures (possibly Gilgamesh and Enkidu) inside, one of which is a lion; one of these figures wears a short goat and sheepskin skirt; vertical and horizontal lines divide the scene and provide space for the owner's name.
Material: stone powder
Time Period: Early Dynastic
Accession Number: [1497] Excavations at Kish, Iraq (Expedition)
Access Year: 1924
Other Numbers: 2162
City/Town: Kish
Collector/Source: Excavations in Kish, Iraq, Excavations in Kish, Iraq
The size is approximately 3cm.
 
Cylinder seals were widely used in ancient Mesopotamia and served as a form of signature and identification tool. They were often used to leave or seal marks by rolling them into clay or other soft materials. Scenes depicted on cylinder seals provide valuable clues about the daily life, beliefs and culture of ancient civilizations such as Sumer and Akkad.