Glyptics from Unit OH2

Caitlin Chaves Yates – August 2011

Introduction
The sealings as objects
Iconography

Introduction

The seals and sealings are arguably the most important find of the OH2 excavations. The quantity of sealings, combined with the quality of the glyptics led the excavators to conclude that the outer city area indeed an integrated part of the Urkesh urban system.

The sealings as objects

There are 35 sealings in OH2 with a variety of impressions, some with seal impressions and others without seal impressions, but with cord, peg, string and other impressions. The sealing seem to have been attached to both movable and immovable objects. They are discussed under Other Objects.

Iconography

There several different seals represented in the OH2 corpus. Some notable examples are highlighted below:

	OH2 i12	This sealing was impressed with a double rolling of the same seal. The composite rolling is c1. The image is of a standing human figure with a lion.
	Alternate view of OH2 i12	The side view drawing of this sealing shows the cord impressions on the back side, indicating that this sealing was originally placed on a jar or other surface that was closed with a cord.
	Alternate view of OH2 i12, called c1.	i12 had two rollings of the seal on it as seen in the first drawing. These were combined to create a more complete drawing of seal. See mKB's description of the iconography under c1.
	OH2 q8.1	This sealing has a double rolling of an intricate scene of a seated figure drinking from a jar using a straw. Around the seated figure are a goat and another animal.
	OH2 q8.1	This drawing shows the locations of the images on the sealing.
	OH2 q8.1	This drawing clearly shows the peg and cord impression on the back of the sealing. This indicates that it was used to store something in the local area, such as a door, not a jar or something that was imported from a long distance.
	OH2 q8.1 Composite drawing of double rolling (c2).	This drawing is a composite drawing combining the two seal impressions of the same seal found on the obverse of this sealing. The scene is of a seated figure flanked by goat-like animals, drinking from a large jar.
	OH2 q5.1	Cord impression on a sealing alongside a fingernail impression.
	OH2 q5.3	Only a small portion of this seal impression is preserved. The scene is of a seated geometric human figurine.
	OH2 q6.1	There is a peg and cord impression on the back of this sealing and a rolled seal impression on the front. The scene of the seal impression is unclear but the excavators interpreted it as a figure surrounded by fish.