Ancient Near Eastern Cylinder Seals from the Marcopoli Collection

Beatrice Teissier

• Publisher: University of California Press
• Year: 2023
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9780520348912
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Ancient History
• Index: History

The Marcopoli Collection of ancient Near Eastern cylinder and stamp seals offers a remarkable window into the art and history of Syria and surrounding regions. Established in the late 19th century by the Marcopoli family, hereditary Italian consuls in Aleppo, this collection is a testament to their fascination with archaeology and commitment to preserving relics of the past. Under Paolo Marcopoli's stewardship, the collection expanded significantly and stands today as a treasure trove of artifacts, particularly rich in Syrian seals from the third and early second millennia. These seals are invaluable for enhancing our understanding of Syrian glyptic art, adding new layers of iconographical data and exceptional artistry to the historical record. This catalogue focuses primarily on the collection's cylinder seals, providing detailed descriptions and insights into their styles and iconography, and classifies the seals based on established conventions. The seals' broad geographic origins—from Syria to southern and northern Mesopotamia, and potentially Iran—further enrich the collection's diversity. This work is essential for scholars and enthusiasts of ancient Near Eastern history and art, offering a glimpse into the region's cultural heritage, complete with meticulous documentation and cross-references to other significant collections. A forthcoming catalogue will explore the equally fascinating stamp seals of this collection.

This title was originally published in 1984.

Many titles in the Voices Revived program are also newly available as ebooks, offered at a discounted price to support wider access to scholarly work.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents 1
• ABBREVIATIONS
• PREFACE
• ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
• INTRODUCTION
• I THE LATE URUK AND JAMDAT NASR PERIODS Mesopotamia and Elam
• II. THE EARLY DYNASTIC PERIOD
• III. THE AKKADIAN PERIOD
• IV THE THIRD DYNASTY OF UR
• V. THE OLD BABYLONIAN PERIOD
• VI THE KASSITE PERIOD
• VII THE MIDDLE ASSYRIAN PERIOD
• VIII THE NEO-ASSYRIAN AND NEO-BABYLONIAN PERIODS
• IX. THE ACHAEMENID PERIOD
• X. SYRIAN SEALS FROM C. 3200-2900 B.C.
• XI. SYRIAN SEALS FROM C. 2900-2200 B.C.
• XII. SYRIAN SEALS FROM THE EARLY SECOND MILLENNIUM
• XIII. OLD ASSYRIAN COLONY STYLE SEALS
• XIV SYRIAN SEALS FROM C. 1850-1620 B.C.
• XV. MITANNIAN SEALS
• XVI CYPRIOT SEALS FROM THE LATE BRONZE AGE
• XVII LEVANTINE SEALS FROM C. 1550-900 B.C.
• XVIII MIDDLE ELAMITE SEALS
• IXX. MISCELLANEOUS SEALS
• XX. SUSPECT AND FORGED SEALS
• CATALOGUE
• MITANNIAN SEALS
• APPENDIXES
• NOTES
• BIBLIOGRAPHY
• CHRONOLOGICAL CHART