Introduction

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Background

Having such a large number of broken pieces of seal impressions pressed on small clay lumps it was possible to determine their exact stratigraphic position. Two groups in particular were discarded together in antiquity after opening of the sealed containers; one group was excavated in A7 and found outside the western wall of the palace. These can be dated to the same period as the seal impressions found inside the palace itself. The second group was discovered in excavation unit K1, a dump on the eastern side of the main mound and dating to the ED III period.

Most of the sealings we have excavated were just tossed down in the place the container was opened. This is true even of most door sealings which were found near doors.

Within the royal palace of Tupkish large numbers of seal impressions were found in the work rooms in A1, A5, in the service courtyard A9, the kitchen A6, a work room (A15) near the monumental stone lined courtyard. Near this same courtyard we found later Akkadian seal impressions belonging to Tar’am Agade, daughter of Naram Sin in A13. Other areas within the palace held smaller numbers of seal impressions.

While the ED III seals iconography in Urkesh are connected with southern Mesopotamia, the Akkadian period seal impressions that we have excavated in Urkesh are carved with a new iconography. This is not only for the royal seals but also for scenes which have no concurent inscriptions. For instance good examples of sealings without inscriptions are seal impression showing a potter’s workshop (A1.364) and impressions we have interpreted as the deity who lived in Urkesh, Kumarbi, walking in the mountains (A1c1 a composit from impressions A1.58, A1q894.1a and 1b). Both of these scenes are only partial but no trace of inscriptions were found with them.

With this new iconography due to the large number of impressions connected with the palace it is possible to pursue research questions that often are missing in the record from excavated sites. So for instance I could follow avenues that gave evidence regarding not only single iconographic reconstructions but also styles in use in the Urkesh royal household. These are found here in the section on Styles.

Also avenues leading to a study of workshops were available in Urkesh. So groups of seal carvers using specific ways of carving as well as specific subjects could be individuated. These are discussed below under Workshops.

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Introduction: Stylistic characteristics

In examining the glyptic styles found in Urkesh, questions concerning how important are the composition, carving techniques and iconography among others in the various seal impressions we have excavated. Frequently the impressions are only partial evidence for the original seal,meaning that many times these questions cannot be adequately answered however. Below are some of the questions I had in mind when doing the research on the Urkesh seal impressions.

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Composition

1. how many figures are depicted in the seal
2. how many groups
3. how many figures are in each group
4. are the figures vertical, horizontal, diagonal and what is the prevalent direction
5. how close together are the figures
6. are figures touching in any way
7. how can we tell the relationship or the interactions of the figures with each other
8. what is the composition of individual groups
9. if more than one group how are compositions combined – if at all
10. what type of compositions can be combined
11. how are inscriptions placed with regard to figural compositions
12. how realistic are the scenes
13. how naturalistic are the scenes is there a difference between realistic and naturalistic??
14. what role does movement play or are the figures static
15. how are some seals connected with the profession of the seal owner
16. interaction of the figures: what relationship does the human (s) have with the animals
17. what are the different relationships that humans have with each other
18. in deity scenes – what are they doing and what relationship do humans have with them

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Carving Techniques

1. emphasis on borders – gives greater sense of depth
2. how are muscles shown – if at all
3. what parts of the bodies are patterned (hair, dress, hats) and what parts are not usually patterned (ie. what parts have more detail and therefore more emphasis)
4. how are heads carved
5. how are lion’s manes carved
6. how obvious are the circular drill holes and why have the seal cutters left them so obvious and not remodeled (recut them) into more naturalistic patterns

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Iconography

1. what are the subjects portrayed in the seals
2. are these subjects in proportions similar to other sites in north and southern Mes.
3. how are animals shown – one or two horns? Heads turned? Heads seen from above or in profile or from behind?
4. what type of clothes do human and divine figures wear
5. how are they holding their hands and what do they hold
6. what type of tables – and what, if anything is placed on them
7. what types of stools or chairs
8. are animals reversed, standing on 2 or 4 feet
9. what role do the vessels play in these scenes
10. how are the heads and eyes depicted

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Overview

Dotted Eye Style

Deep Fringe, Globular Style

Schematic and Geometric Styles.

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The Mozan Group

Stylistic characteristics: elegant designs, movement in figures (ex the “Minoan man ), unusual positions (eg. bent figs and especially two bent figs below insc), See discussion of bent figures in my notebook.

Another indication of the range of subject matter and composition in this group is A1.364. On the left is a seated human figure with a stool decorated with a fringe type design, at the bottom at least, and wearing a flat hat. The rest of the rolling is divided into two. The lower register has a seated figure with both hands on a large vessel, in the act of making it. This composition is unusual and shows ths same idea as the bent figures, that is people working at every day activities and in poses that take up only about half of the height of the composition. Another composition with a similar theme is A5.141. The theme may revolve around a banquet but the emphasis is on the vessels and the figures connected with them and not the banquet per se.