Ancient Sumerian Cylinder Seals: The Tiny Masterpieces of Mesopotamia

Ancient Sumerian Cylinder Seals: The Tiny Masterpieces of Mesopotamia

Ancient Sumerian Cylinder Seals: The Tiny Masterpieces of MesopotamiaInvented in the late 4th millennium BCE in ancient Mesopotamia (primarily at sites like Uruk and Susa), the cylinder seal is one of the most distinctive and important artifacts of the Sumerian civilization. Ranging from one to two inches in height, these tiny, finely carved stone cylinders were used to roll an impression onto a two-dimensional surface, generally wet clay.They a…