Archaeology Society of Staten IslandNovember 2012: Dr. Sarah Jarmer Scott, ‘Tiny Portraits: Seals and Identity in the Ancient World’
November 18
Dr. Sarah Jarmer Scott Tiny Portraits: Seals and Identity in the Ancient World
Cylinder and stamp seals were used in antiquity to officiate documents. However, current research is highlighting seals’ functions as deeper than markers of personal identity. This talk will survey the use of seals from the pre-literate periods through the Bronze Age in Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Aegean, and the Indus Valley to highlight the dynamic nature of these objects and the residual artifact assemblage they left in their wake, which suggests these objects can tell us a great deal more about trade, commerce and community relationships in antiquity.
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