A Sumerian Serpentine Stamp Seal, ca. Jemdet Nasr Period, ca. 3100 - 2700 BCE

Dome-shaped, the base drilled with a heavy concentration of circular forms, pierced for wearing. Early seals and their impressions (sealings) have been found at a number of sites in south-eastern Anatolia, the Levant and north Mesopotamia, and date to the late Neolithic period (7500 - 6000 BCE). The earliest stamp seals were used in administration to impress clay tags and roughly circular pieces of clay.  Dimensions: Length: 13 mm (0.5 inches) Condition: Intact and in very good condition overall Provenance: Alex Malloy collection, acquired in the 1980s