A Comparative Study of a Collection of Cylinder Seals Preserved in the Iraq Museum and the Significance of Different Representations of Principal Deities | ||
| Shedet | ||
| Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 30 October 2025 | ||
| Document Type: research articles | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/shedet.2025.401203.1312 | ||
| Author | ||
| Basem Mohamed Khattab* | ||
| Egyptology Department, College of Archaeology and Tourism Guidance – MISR University for Science and Technology | ||
| Abstract | ||
| The paper examines a group of unpublished cylinder seals (No. 234546, 237623, and 225683) housed in the Department of Restored Antiquities, Iraq Museum. It offers the first scientific documentation and thorough investigation of a collection of previously unpublished and unexamined cylinder seals. The study offers a comprehensive description of the seals' material, dimensions, artistic style, and principal and secondary sceneries, as well as their inscriptions on the seals. This is followed by the analytical study of these seals, which relies primarily on their artistic features, as no inscriptions were recorded on the surfaces of the seals under study except for seal No. 3. This seal bears a simple inscription that includes the name of its owner and his official function. The analytical method emphasizes stylistic attributes, comparing these seals with dated counterparts that have analogous artistic traits to get an accurate dating. Furthermore, the study performs a new comparative analysis of the religious motifs on the examined seals and their counterparts, illuminating the dominant religious rituals and their political-theological ramifications, especially the changing significance of major deities during the Akkadian period. Initial results suggest a range of functions, symbolism, and administrative and religious roles of the seals. The paper aims to promote extensive interdisciplinary studies by publishing key Akkadian and Neo-Sumerian artifacts, merging archaeological and theological viewpoints | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Appearance Scenes; Principal Deities; Lama; Lion; Star | ||
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