Cylinder seals were a small, carved stone cylinder that was used to make an impression in wet clay. When rolled on the wet clay, the seal left an impression that could prove ownership or identity. These small—about an inch to an inch and a half long—seals are delicate works of art, intricately carved with the tiny figures of gods, beasts, and men, usually relating a myth, a banquet, or a heroic deed.
For 3,000 years cylinder seals were used all over Mesopotamia and wherever Mesopotamian influence was felt. Most were made of stone, whether limestone or semi-precious stones such as carnelian or lapis lazuli. Some were made of copper, bronze, gold, ivory, or bone.
