Introduction

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 in antiquity after opening of the sealed container; 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.

Within the royal palace of Tupkish large numbers of seal impressions were found in the storerooms in A1, A5, in the service courtyard A9, the kitchen A6, a storeroom (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.

Because of the large number of impressions 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.