Stamp Seals from the Collections of the Aleppo Museum, Syrian Arab Republic 9781841710174, 9781407351339

Citation preview

BAR S804 1999 NUNN STAMP SEALS FROM THE COLLECTIONS OF THE ALEPPO MUSEUM, SYRIAN ARAB REPUBLIC

B A R

Stamp Seals from the Collections of the Aleppo Museum, Syrian Arab Republic Astrid Nunn in cooperation with Hamido Hammade

Drawings by Cornelie Wolff

BAR International Series 804 1999

Stamp Seals from the Collections of the Aleppo Museum, Syrian Arab Republic Astrid Nunn in cooperation with Hamido Hammade

Drawings by Comelie Wolff

BAR International Series 804 1999

Published in 2016 by BAR Publishing, Oxford BAR International Series 804 Stamp Sealsfrom the Collections of the Aleppo Museum, Syrian Arab Republic

© A Nunn and the Publisher 1999 The author's moral rights under the 1988 UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act are hereby expressly asserted. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be copied, reproduced, stored, sold, distributed, scanned, saved in any form of digital format or transmitted in any form digitally, without the written permission of the Publisher.

ISBN 9781841710174 paperback ISBN 9781407351339 e-format DOI https://doi.org/10.30861/9781841710174 A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library BAR Publishing is the trading name of British Archaeological Reports (Oxford) Ltd. British Archaeological Reports was first incorporated in 1974 to publish the BAR Series, International and British. In 1992 Hadrian Books Ltd became part of the BAR group. This volume was originally published by Archaeopress in conjunction with British Archaeological Reports (Oxford) Ltd/ Hadrian Books Ltd, the Series principal publisher, in 1999. This present volume is published by BAR Publishing, 2016.

BAR

PUBLISHING BAR titles are available from:

EMAIL

PHONE FAX

BAR Publishing 122 Banbury Rd, Oxford, OX2 7BP, UK [email protected] +44 (0)1865 310431 +44 (0)1865 316916 www.barpublishing.com

F - Sasanian period: Nos. 405-414 G - Not datable: Nos. 415-417

Bibliography and Abbreviations

160-162

Indices A- Concordance ofM-numbers and catalogue numbers

163-169

B - Concordance of Tell Brak and Chagar Bazar numbers and catalogue numbers C - Concordance of Tell Brak numbers written on seals and catalogue numbers D - Concordance of further numbers written on labels and catalogue numbers E - Index of provenances

Plate 1

IV

Handleless: la-b: Tabloid. 2a-b: Disk, 2c: ·oval tabloid, 2d: Grooved disk. 3a: Gable, 3b: High gable. 4a: High gable, 4b: Truncated pyramid. 5a: Hemispheroid, 5b: High hemispheroid. 6: Ovoid. 7: Low and rounded gable.

8a-b: Kidney-shaped hemispheroid. 9: Lentoid. 10: Gabled lentoid. 11: Scaraboid. 12: Grooved square. 13: Collared ovoid. 14: Ovoid cut at perforation. 15: Pinched dome. 16a: Conoid, 16b: Bevelled conoid. l 7a-b: Dome.

Handled: 18a: Ridge, 18b: Loop. 19a-b: Loop. 20a: Stud, 20b: Stalk. 21: Stem-handled. 22: Stud. 23: Stud. 24a: Hammer, 24b: Stud.

25: Scarab.

II

1

no. 343 no. 149

2 no. 193

no. 312

II

no.318

no.220

no.42

3 no.43

a

~ no.4

4

- no. 369

5

no. 197 no. 182

Fig. 1: Shapes

2

•

11

6

no.217

7 no.54

8 no. 166

no. 174

b

a

9 no.28

10 no.29

11

12

no.356

no.323

:?:}]::

i-f:?_.,,;;:::·;;::-,.= .:.:::-: -·:---:: ...

,

..

. ··.. >::.:i;;

Fig. 1: Shapes

3

Most of the shapes are characteristic for one period. Gable, which are either high or low and rounded (fig. 1,3, 4a, 7) and pinched domes (fig. 1,15) are typical for the earliest period. Large tabloids (fig. 1, 1), oval tabloids (fig. 1,2c), hemispheroids, which are lower or higher (fig. 1,5), or kidney-shaped (fig. 1,8), ovoids (fig. 1,6), which are collared (fig. 1,13) or cut are perforation (fig. 1,14), lentoids (fig. 1,9) and gabled lentoids (fig. 1,10) are common in the Chalcolithic period,

whereas disks (fig. l,2a-b9, truncated pyramids (fig. 1,4b), scaraboids (fig. l,llb), ridges (fig. 1,18a), loops (fig. 1,18b, 19), studs (fig. 1,20a, 22, 23, 24b), stalks (fig. 1,20b), stems (fig. 1,21) and hammers (fig. 1,24) were preferred in the Late Bronze Age and the Iron Age. Scarabs are frequent in the second and first millennia (fig. 1,25). Conoids and bevelled conoids (fig. 1,16) are one of the most common shape in the Late Iron Age. Domes are only sasanian (fig. 1,17).

3 - TERMINOLOGY FOR SOME MOTIFS A few very characteristic motifs, which bear a specific terminology are listed in the fig. 2. Crossed lines Angle-filled cross

Line-filled cross no.34, 240 no.33, 190

Criss-cross lines

no.9, 13

no.165

no.5,161

Fig. 2: Terminology for some motifs

4 - EXPLANATION OF THE CATALOGUE FORMAT Registration: This is the registration number of the Aleppo Museum6 . It is written on the seal in ink. There are several different ways that the seals were registered. Either they bear a number preceded by M (written either in Arabic or in Latin script) or a number written in Arabic script without a letter. The letters MG followed by a number seems to characterize only stamps from Tell Brak and Chagar Bazar. This registration is written in Arabic script. The letters B, F and G, which are found on paper labels attached to the seals from Tell Brak, are followed by a number and appear in Mallowan's report in Iraq 9. I repeat them in this catalogue, as some of the seals bearing one of these letters are

unpublished. Two seals are marked with an E7 . In D. Matthews, OBO SA 15, page 150, we read that "the field register contains "A" and "E" numbers (mostly Chagar Bazar)". Six seals bear the Arabic letter S before the numbers written in Arabic script. Four are from Rama and two from Tell Brak. I think it has nothing to do with the S marking the Tell Brak seals kept in the Aleppo Museum as indicated by M. Mallowan 8 . One seal without known origin bears a T.

7- No. 7 (Tell Brak?) and 209 (Tell Brak) in this catalogue. 8- See Mallowan, Iraq 9, 89 and catalogue.

6- See the indices for the list of the items.

6

Origin: The place of origin of the seals is indicated in the museum's card index and in the museum's entry catalogue. The name of the place of origin is either the modem arabic one or, when it is known, the antique name. As well as the place of origin I have indicated, when it is known, the find locus and/or the registration number given by the excavators. These indications are written on labels attached to the seals or on papers kept in the box with the seal. Dimensions: The following sequence has been followed: length and width of the device surface and height of the seal. The measurements are in centimetres. Measurements in brackets indicate the extant dimensions of damaged and incomplete seals (e.g. no. 25). Material: The identification of the material is my assessment made in the museum, and is not based

on expert geological identification. In some cases it is unfortunately vague. Back: This is the description of the shape. It can be general or specific if necessary. Face: This is the description of the face. First publication: indicates the first publication of the seal. It may be followed by further bibliographical informations. Date: Some seals form a chronologically uniform group, some not. In the first case the date is given at the beginning of the group, in the second case, the date of each seal is treated separately under this rubric. Remark: This rubric is about anything concerning the seal or the group to which it belongs. Parallels are quoted here.

5-CHRONOLOGY The relative chronology of the prehistoric seals is based on the fundamental study of A. von Wickede, Priihistorische Stempelglyptik in Vorderasien (MVS VI, 1990). The absolute dates are calibrated C 14 dates. The dates used here are higher than those in von Wickede's publication9 . The exact chronology of most scarabs of the second millennium is still uncertain. For them I have consulted the standard catalogues quoted under the rubric "publication" or "remark".

The Levantine glyptic of the second and first millennia also is poorly known. I have tried to find at least one comparable piece coming from a stratified context for each seal of the catalogue, but this is unfortunately not possible in all cases. Therefore the suggested date may not be definitive and future research may correct the provisional dating given here.

9- 0. Aurenche, J. Evin, F. Hours, Chronologie du Proche Orient. Chronologies in the Near East, BAR IS 379, 1987. M. Roaf, Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia and the Ancient Near East, Oxford 1990.

7

A particularly difficult problem is to differentiate between the wild goat (Capra aegagrus, Bezoarziege, chevre sauvage) and the ibex (Capra ibex, Steinbock, bouquetin) both belonging to the genus Capra. In both species the males have big horns which are curved upwards and provided with more or less pronounced ridges. On the seals horns are sometimes shown with ridges (no. 41 or 56) but more frequently completely smooth. The geographical distribution of the wild goat comprises the mountainous regions of the Mediterranean coast of Anatolia, Syria and Libanon and of the mountainous regions extending from North Syria to Iran (fig. 3). The ibex is found in the north between the Black and the Caspian Seas as well as in the Caucasus and in the south on both sides of the Red Sea (fig. 4). The distribution

.

.

_:·

. • ..

of ibex extended in ancient times into Palestine, overlapping there with that of the wild goat. The two maps 13 (figs 3 and 4) show the range of the two species in our days. Their ranges in ancient times were probably more extensive, so that the area of overlap was larger. For pieces coming from the region of overlap it is impossible ·to decide whether the animal represented was an ibex or a wildgoat. Nonetheless since the stamps published here are from Northern Syria, the communis opinio amongst archaeozoologists is that the wild goat is more probably depicted. Numbers 41, 42, 45, 49, 52, 53, 54, 56, 63, 65, 68, 71, 72, 74?, 75?, 94?, 97?, 104?, 105, 118, 137?, 138?, 158 and 168 are likely therefore to show wild goats and are identified as such in the catalogue.

· .

.. :· ..=··-

Fig. 4: Capra ibex. After Harrison - Bates, 182 fig. 269. 170, 179?, 182, 183, 184, 302?, 303? and 316. The probability for a domesticated goat being represented is higher on numbers 46?, 182, 183 and 184. Wild animals are normally clearly preferred. The horns on no. 97 are made with a drill. Did the artist intend to render the ridges by the drill holes or is it just a technique? In the last case this animal could be a domesticated goat. 48 could be a wild goat or a deer.

Another problem is to differentiate between wild and domesticated individuals of the genus Capra (fig. 7). The longer and more straight or the more scimitar curved the horns are, the greater is the evidence for a wild animal. With domestication the horns diminish in size and show a tendency to become twisted. The term "goat" is used to mean either the wild goat, the wild ibex or the domesticated goat. This concerns the numbers 77,

13- Kindly supplied by the Institut fur Palaeoanatomie.

12

Capra

Genus

Ovis

Gazella

Cervidae

In reality

$=,o.49~oo.73 ~7

,U,o.105 :)

IZI

~ Q) IZI Q)

..c:: ..... i:::

0

/ry

v2.

~10

0074

from the side no.71

€@ ((J),o.63 ~ ~

no.78

no.45

no.75

from above

~42

~.,

~411

Fig. 7: Horns in reality and their transposition into art.

16

~

no.409

the finds from Tell Brak 22: this shape can also be found in the Mesopotamian heartland (Tell Asmar, Kish, Isin, Uruk) and in south-west Iran (Susa23). These seals have the shape of an animal. The animals represented range from dangerous beasts of prey to domesticated small animals. They are normally carved in a naturalistic style, which sometimes turns them into little masterpieces (nos. 57-135, see section 7 "The animals shown on the seals"pp. 11-16). There is a connection between the type of animal and the material. The lions (nos. 5762) are made out of white or buff-coloured stones. Just one is made in bone. Alabaster and buffcoloured or white marble prevail for the horned animals, but coloured stones, especially black steatite, also occur. Most of the birds, the mice and the hares are modelled in faience. Nonetheless, the bigger examples of these animals are also cut in stones of various colours. The animals shown on the faces are as varied as on the back. Only the faience pieces are ornamented with simple excision. Tabloids (nos. 136-165) are typical for the Late Uruk period24 . Pink limestone and white marble were preferred for the tabloids of better quality. Darker colours like black, dark brown or grey were used for seals with geometric designs. Animals of varying quality were cut on the faces. Different styles are present in this group. Some animals are represented in a naturalistic style (no. 137), some in a stylised manner (no. 136), still others consist of a number of drilled holes (no. 138) and finally some are reduced to a completely geometrical form (no. 140). The smaller seals are decorated with entirely geometric designs (nos. 160-163), in which case the back is often decorated with simple lines. Kidney-shaped seals appear to be a characteristic of Tell Brak as they are not known outside the region of the Khabur river25. Ten out of the 16 pieces in this catalogue consist of black steatite, two of marble, two of faience and two (?) of bone. In contrast to the tabloids, the largest kidney22- The Late Uruk shapes are the following: 78 animals, all from Tell Brak; 29 tabloids, 2 of them are not from Tell Brak; 16 kidneys, all from Tell Brak; 20 hemispheroids, 12 from Tell Brak, 2 from Ra's Shamra, 6 without provenance; 3 lentoids, all from Tell Brak; 14 ovoids, all from Tell Brak except one; 3 oval tabloids, all from Tell Brak; 18 rosettes, all from Tell Brak. 23- Rashad, AMI Erg. 13, pl. 38, 39, 41, 42. 24- v. Wickede, op. cit. 232. 25- v. Wickede, op. cit. 234.

shaped seals are made of black steatite (nos. 166, 167, 169), as if the stone was thought to remind the bearer that his seal was a copy of a kidney. The inlaid kidneys were also made of steatite (nos. 178181). The choice of a dark colour for the seal's body increases here the contrast with the white inlays. As was the case with the tabloids, the common motifs of the better and larger seals consist of animals (nos. 166-170, 178-181) while the smaller ones bear geometric designs (nos. 175177). Hemispheroids (nos. 182-201) are common in Tell Brak (nos. 182-193), but are also known from Levantine, Mesopotamian and Persian sites such as Ra>s Shamra (nos. 194-195), Larsa, Kish and Susa26. The large items are made out of white or buff-coloured marble, white limestone or light colours. This they have in common with the largest tabloids. The other stone which is mainly used is black steatite. The devices can be compared to those on the tabloids. The large hemispheroids show two animals tete-beche (nos. 182-187) and some of the smaller ones bear geometric designs (nos. 190, 194, 199-201). The design of two opposed pairs of horns, which is unknown on other shapes, occurs quite often here (nos. 193, 195196). Because of the round shapes of their faces and their profiles, which remind us of the ovoids, the lentoids have been classified between the hemispheroids and the ovoids. They are no longer frequent in the Late Uruk period. However, the drilled device of no. 202 is so typical for this later period27 that a later date appears to me to be more probable than an earlier one. By contrast, no. 203 may belong to the Late Ubaid period. The shape combined with the device suggest a dating of no. 204 to the Late Uruk period. The ovoid shape with its semi-circular cross-section is one of the most typical shapes during the Late Uruk period (nos. 209-218). Ovoid seals are mainly known from Tell Brak. A few were found in Arpachiya and Mohammed Arab as well as in Susa28. Light coloured stones such as marble and limestone are represented as often as dark stones such as black steatite and olive alabaster. The 26- v. Wickede, op. cit. 232. Rashad, op. cit. pl. 25, 26, 29, 34-37, 40-41. 27-v. Wickede, op. cit. 236-237. 28- v. Wickede, op. cit. 234. Rashad, op. cit. 13, pl. 32-34.

18

THE CATALOGUE

A - PREHISTORIC AND EARLY HISTORIC PERIODS

I- Amuq A and.B periods (about 7000-6000 B.C.) 1 Registration: Origin: Ra>s Shamra, 1972, PN 5042. Surface find 100 m East of PN. Dimensions: 6 x 2,9 x 4. Material: Light yellow sandstone with dark red spot. Back: Irregularly domed. Face: Divided in deeply cut and irregularly large quadrangles. It makes an indented profile. Remark: Parallels in: Kuschke, Ugaritica IV, 286 fig. 37,6, de Contenson, Syria 54, 17, (Ra's Shamra VB).

2 Registration: Origin: Ra>s Shamra, 1972. PN 601, 5038. Dimensions: 4 x 3 x 2. Material: Pinkish clay. Back: Ridge pinched for the handle with beginning of perforation. Face: Rudimentary criss-cross incisions. Remark: Parallel in: de Contenson, Ugaritica IV, 508, (Ra>s Shamra VB). Amuq A

3 Registration: Origin: Ra>s Shamra, 1973. G 1233. Dimensions: 3,1 x 1,9 x 1,7. Material: Dark pinkish buff clay. Back: Ridge slightly pinched for the perforated handle. Face: Incised parallel lines. Date: Amuq A

4 Registration: Origin: Ra>s Shamra, 1968. 4793. Inv. 30. 196. Palais Est, tr. SW, sect 1. Dimensions: 3,5 x 2 x 1,7. Material: Clay. Back: High gable flattened on top. Face: Incised parallel lines.

24

c;;;,

0 C>

25 ·

10 Registration: Origin: Ra>s Shamra, 20 X 1968. Inv. 30.194. Cone deblais anciens. Dimensions: 3,5 x 2,2 x 1. Material: Black steatite. Back: Sloped with perforation. Face: Incised lines surrounding three central circles. 11 Registration: M 979, 273. Origin: Salamiya. Dimensions: 3 x 2,2 x 1,1. Material: Dark brown stone/pebble river stone. Back: Triangle base with perforated low ridge. Face: Incised lines get off two central lines dividing the surface in the length. Remark: Parallels in: Wickede, MVS VI, no. 23 (Wadi Hammam).

12 Registration: M 980, 282. Origin: Dimensions: 4 x 2, 7 x 2,3. Material: Black steatite. Back: Square base with perforated ridge. Face: Incised broad lines getting off a central line. Remark: Parallel in: Schaeffer, Ugaritica IV, 96 (Ra>s Shamra). For device see v. Wickede, MVS VI, no. 18 (Ra>s Shamra VB).

13 Registration: M 6404, 270. Origin: Dimensions: D. 2, 7 x 1,6. Material: Black steatite. Back: Round base with perforated ridge. Face: Line-filled cross. Remark: The motif may be younger (v. Wickede, MVS VI, nos. 198, 506, 511, 522, 525 from the Halaf, Late Ubaid and Late chalcolithic period), but the back does not fit. That is why we prefer an earlier dating to the Amuq B period.

IT - Halaf period (6000-5000 B.C.)

14 Registration: MG 3590. Origin: Tell Brak. F 615. Dimensions: 2,6 x 2 x 0,9. Material: Black steatite. Back: Drop-shaped pendantseal. Face: Four longitudinal incised lines with transverse lines.

15 Registration: MG 3611. Origin: Tell Brak. Dimensions: 2,2 x (1,6) x 0,8. Material: Green serpentine. Back: Drop-shaped pendantseal, one side broken. Face: Holes set in rows and connected with lines.

28

16 Registration: MG 3785. Origin: Tell Brak, East ridge. F 674. Dimensions: 1,8 x 1,2 x 0,6. Material: Veined stone white and dark red. Back: Drop-shaped pendantseal. Face: Incised lines. Remark: Parallels in: Mallowan, Iraq 9, pl. 14, 14-15.

17 Registration: MG 3609. Origin: Tell Brak, CRH. Tb. Dimensions: 1,7 x (1,1) x 0,7. Material: Black steatite. Back: Drop-shaped pendantseal, one side broken. Face: Incised irregular lines. 18 Registration: MG 6489. Plate 1. Origin: Tell Brak. S 786. Dimensions: 1,9 x 1,7 x 1. Material: Grey serpentine. Back: Loop handled on rectangular base. Face: Very irregular incised line-filled cross. Remark: Could be younger. 19 Registration Origin: Ra,s Shamra, 1970 - SH. RS. 32.33. Dimensions: 2,5 x 2,2 x 0,7. Material: Black steatite. Back: Square base with perforated ridge. Face: Squares filled with a cross and set in rows. First publication: de Contenson, Syria 50, 28 fig. 12 (Ra>s Shamra IVB). Also, id., RSO VIII, fig. 140, 13 and pl. 98, 2. 20 Registration: Origin: Ra,s Sharma, 1973. PNSE 13, 34.102. Dimensions: 1,3 x 1,7 x 0,55. Material: Steatite with white spots. Back: Loop handled on thin rectangular base. Face: The surface is divided in four triangles, two of with are hatched. Remark: Parallels in: de Contenson, RSO VIII, fig. 140 (Ra>s Shamra IVB). 21 Registration: M 10066. Origin: Dimensions: 0,8 x 0,7 x 0,6. Material: Green serpentine. Back: Square base with perforated ridge. Face: Fine geometrical incisions. Remark: Parallels for device in: v. Wickede, MVS VI, nos. 189-191.

22 Registration: Origin: Art market of Aleppo, 15. 9. 1987. Dimensions: 1,4 x 1,3 x (0,5). Material: Steatite. Back: Loop handled on rectangular base. The handle is broken. Face: Very irregular incised line-filled cross.

30

C"'\,_,.....___

r 7

31

35

0

~ - .,,,.,

.

....

0 «JC\

37 ·

8.

CD □

c::::::0

~

/

39

r

•rrffi

I 41

LU

43

45

~~~

&@~ 8 c©~ 47

~

49

--~~