Introduction

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Seals and seal impressions

Our evidence from Mozan was for the most part seal impressions with only a few cylinder seals discovered. One cylinder seal discovered in A9 (A9q3.1), the service courtyard, but this was exceptional. One complete door sealing was excavated in A14 (A14.239) belonging to Ishar-kinum, a later Akkadian period king of Urkesh. Since almost all of the evidence from these seal impressions was broken, the study of the seal impressions entailed a complex methodology discussed under Field Methodology.

In the palace and the administrative building above it seals were employed for the most part for sealing containers such as baskets, boxes, bags and jars. Tags, which are usually broken pieces of flat rectangular clay sealed on one side, were also found. In the palace, especially in the palace working courtyard, excavated in unit A9 and in A13 there were a number of door sealings probably used to seal some of the doors located in the interior of the palace.

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Time and Spacial Distribution

From our excavations at Mozan/Urkesh we have evidence of a history of seal use from the mid fourth millennium through the Mittani period. This time span represents all the periods in which Mozan/Urkesh was occupied – an impressive record of sphragistic acknowledgement over such a long period of time.

For some time periods we have only a limited amount of evidence. This coincides with our restricted stratigraphic exposures for those time periods. When we have a more extensive stratigraphic coverage then invariably we have a large number of seal impressions. For example, this is the case in the royal palace of Tupkish and Uqnitum (AP) where the floors of the palace yielded over a thousand seal impressions and the floors representing the later use of the palace architecture (which we have interpreted as a subsidiary administrative building and no longer a palace) also yielded a number of seal impressions.

Next to the outer palace wall on the south the necromantic pit, called in Hurrian abi, continued in use from at least the third millennium into the Mittani period. Even in this period of less intensive occupation (MZA Phase 5) there were a few seal impressions discovered. This was, more than likely, because its ritual use did not require opening there packages. We assume that the ceramics and seal impressions excavated in A14 were associated with materials needed in the ritual.

Above the administrative building covering the palace the use of the area changed into one of scattered occupation and some burials. Even in this phase of less intensive occupation (MZA Phase 5) there were a few seal impressions discovered.

We have a limited exposure from the Khabur period which included tombs and kilns(MZA Phase 6). Khabur period (MZA Phase 6).

For the succeeding Mittani period (MZA Phase 7)Mittani period (MZA Phase 7) we have a deep exposure just outside the revetment wall on the south and south-west but the nature of this stratigraphic emplacement (an open plaza) was such that seals and evidence for seal use would not be expected.

The site was sparsely used in the Middle Assyrian period and no seals or seal impressions dating to this period were found.

On the eastern side of the high mound a deposit of sealings was found in unit K1; we have interpreted these as coming from a dump dating to the Early Dynastic 3 period (see Mozan 1 and the K1 UGR).