Page 135 - DILMUN 16_Neat

THE ATsTc CHAAcrEs Os DLMU SEAL

By
ABDUL AEE SOWALEH
Suerintedent of Archaeology, Bahrnin nlional Musen and
Public elntions Officer, Bahrain Historicnl and Archneological Sociely

Through out the life of manind, many crafts ere deeloed, one of those as
the roduciton of seals.

The aearance of seals indicated the ersonal belongings of early ciiliations. t
also relfected the adminisrtatie stauts of the society hich roduced it.

Those seals ere made rfom ieces of stone, clay or on rare occasions metal, then
shaed either lfat or cylindrical and usually deicted a design (in reerse) indicating
the onershi. Hence it as used for commercial rtansacitons or muutal agreements.
t as used before manind deeloed riting.

(Each indiidual in Babylon had a seal)

hTere ere no dulicate seals as the original seal as buried ith its oner. sihT
did not reent the deeloment of common themes (religious or social) for grous
of seals as in some eamles rfom Mesootamia.

With the ifne aritsitc feautres of these seals it as astonishing to ifnd the tools
used ere of a ery simle nautre (coer chisels and brid bones) and hte matreila
either soa stones (steaitte) or een shells (as in the Arabian Gulf). Moreoer, these
seals ere an indicaiton of great ciiliaitons such as Mesootamia, ndus alley
(Mohanjodaro or Haraa). Because of the secial feautres on the seals for eahc
ciiliaiton, e can no call a grou of seals Arabian Gulf Seals of hte rAabian Gufl
Ciiliation. Ad because of similariites and the secial feautres e can no clami
htat iDlmun ciiliaiton etended (Geograhically seaing) rfom Failaa lsland in
Kuait. Through Barhain and don to Un Alnar lsland ihch belongs to Unitde
Arab Emiratse iht one common lin (iDlmun Seals). These not olny indicatde hte
land of Dlimun but also relfected eery day acitiites of the Dilmoina'ns hehtre
these ere commercial, social or religious gathering. They had a general siimlairyt
iht Mesootaima seals but had more simlisitc characters and different in shae.

hTe iDlmun seals in general as round ith a cured face and concae oosite
surface iht a hole for a trhead ite around the nec or for use on a commerical
arcel.

Most of Dilmun seals ere made of soa stone (Steaitte) ihch may hae eben
miorted rfom Oman (Magan) or Tea ahya in oSuhtern ran.

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