Making their Mark: A Concise Guide to Western Asiatic Stamp Seals

Differing from most of the delicate and sophisticatedly engraved stamps seals made of precious stones, the earliest ancient Near Eastern stamping devices were relatively large ceramic objects with a stem handle and with geometric patterns engraved on the bases. They have been extensively found in village settlements of the Neolithic period in Anatolia, Mesopotamia, Levant  … Read more

By Anastasia,

  Category: Imagery & Symbolism, Near East
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Mesopotamian Cylinder Seals—Exploring Glyptic Images

In the ancient Near East, cylinder seals were used over a wide geographical landscape, that extended from Anatolia (modern-day Turkey) to the valley of the Indus River. There were various ancient Near Eastern cultures, that once flourished in the ancient Near Eastern landscape, that developed distinctive imagery representations and iconic glyptic styles expressing different mythological  … Read more

By Anastasia,

  Category: Imagery & Symbolism, Near East
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Engraved Gemstones in Ancient Rome

Mesopotamian Traditions and Roman Craftmanship Intaglios – carved gemstones – usually mounted in rings, were a popular style of Roman jewellery for their aesthetic and practical uses. The technique was established well before the Roman period, most likely in Ancient Mesopotamia. Drill cutting techniques established by the Greeks, allowed the Romans to create intricate intaglio  … Read more

By Virginia,

  Category: Ancient Rome, Buying & Collecting, Imagery & Symbolism
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The History and Mythology of Gemstones in Ancient Jewellery

Jewellery in Ancient Egypt Jewellery has been worn by ancient cultures around the world for thousands of years. In ancient Egypt both men and women were great lovers of jewellery and adorned themselves with a profusion of charms and amulets. Jewellery also showed wealth and status and offered protection from evil. Although the Egyptians had  … Read more

By Anastasia,

  Category: Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Imagery & Symbolism
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The Significance of Carnelian in Ancient Egyptian Culture

Carnelian and its Frequent Use Carnelian is a semi-precious stone that was used frequently by the Egyptians of all social classes, through Dynastic Egypt till the Roman period. Sources mention of one mine, found in Egypt, which would have supplied carnelian from the Middle Kingdom. However, the source of the gemstone before this is relatively  … Read more

By Virginia,

  Category: Ancient Egypt, Imagery & Symbolism
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