Approximately 3 cm x 1.5 cm. A cylinder seal is a small round cylinder, typically about one inch (2 to 3cm) in length, engraved with written characters or figurative scenes or both, used in ancient times to roll an impression onto a two-dimensional surface, generally wet clay. They are a common product of ancient Middle Eastern cultures. The are considered as art as well as the practical way to sign your name if you were illiterate. Cylinder seals were invented around 3500BCE in the Ancient Near East. The cylinder seals are typically made from a variety of hardstones.Most seals have a hole running through the center of the body, and they are thought to have typically been worn as a necklace so that they were always available when needed. This example is from the ancient city of Aleppo Syria and is believed to date from approximately 1000 BC. It is from a private collection. When created, contemporaeous Archaic cultures in the Wester Hemishere, had neither pottery or written language.
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