Administrative Seals of Tell Brak — Earliest Marks of Authority

At Tell Brak in northeastern Syria, hundreds of stone-cut seals and seal impressions from c. 3600–3400 BCE — the Middle Uruk period — testify to one of the world's earliest organized administrations. Made of limestone, serpentine, or lapis lazuli, these seals were rolled onto clay closures of jars, baskets and storerooms to authenticate goods and identify responsible authorities. They predate proto-cuneiform writing by two centuries.