Page 124 - DILMUN 16_Neat

imression fragments, fie of hich aeared to hae been used to seal the nec of
the sane jar. They ere lying round the jar here it had fallen. Oher houses had no
more than one or to ieces and the areas north of Houses 1-4 roduced only a
single seal, reinforcing the imression created by architecture that this as a oor
area. House 1-12 ere also oorly roided. A single seal from the earlier
ecaation is held in the ational Museum, but no eact roenance ithin the site is
gien for it. The seal is of some interest because altghough the design is of the
Dilmun tye, the seal is button shaed and the bac has no decoraiton at all.

t is from the temle that the largest number of seal imression fragments ere
retrieed. Thirty to batches of fragments are registered from this building, hile
only one seal as found. f e ostulated that seal imressions, other than those
from door sealings, are hiely to hae come mainly from goods entering a building,
hile seals ere used mainly on goods leaing it, e can suggest that the temle
building as a net reciient of goods, erhas in the form of offerings or tithes.
Conersely, Houses 1 and , each esecially rich in seals, may ell hae been
eediters. House 6 ith seals and sealings, aears to hae had both functions, a
too does House 21. Such a distribuiton atters might reresent the ordinary
domesitc economic actiity of a roserous household.

Bearing in mind that much of the site is sitll unelored, the concentraiton of both
seals and seal imressions along the main road south of the temle, in Houses 21,
211 ad 1-, begins to suggest that it as in this area of the ton that the most
economically actie members of the community lied.

The sealings found this year also underline the fact, often unremared in the
literature, that local trade or commerce as of great imortance. The sealed goods
coming into Saar did not aarently come directly from Mesootamia or rfom the
lndus Valley. ot a single seal imression in either of these styles as found. f any
of the goods originated in one of these areas, they aear to hae come through a
local middleman ho mared them ith his on Dilmun seal. Some may een hae
come rfom secialist roducers ithin Saar. One breer may hae roduced able
sold to the richer houses, a eaer may hae roduced a articular tye of teitle
sought after ithin the settlement. Local eole may also hae gien roduce to the
temle. Whateer the details of the transacitons, it is clear rfom the eidence rertieed
this year that local commerce as of greater economic significance than has
reiously been areciated.

2