Administrative Seals of Tell Brak — Earliest Marks of Authority
חותמות תל בראק
Author: Administrateurs de Tell Brak (Haute-Mésopotamie) anonymes
Date: c. 3600–3400 av. J.-C.
Preservation: British Museum (Londres), Musée national de Damas, Musée d'archéologie de Deir ez-Zor
deposited on May 1, 2026 · History register · custodian, not owner
❧ Description
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.
In history
Critical research
Dating
English
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.