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Cylinder Seal with Childbirth Scene

2600 BC - 2350 BC
Hematite
Original Site Unknown
2.9 cm x 1.0 cm diam.
A27902

Oriental Institute Museum

Artifact Description

Cylinder Seal with Childbirth Scene

This cylinder seal was made from a piece of hematite. It would have been rolled onto clay to produce a unique impression, or "signature," that was used either to indicate ownership or to safeguard personal possessions. This seal depicts a contest scene (featuring men and lions) in the upper register, and what may be a childbirth scene in the lower register. The latter shows a pregnant woman lying on a bed, or table, surrounded by attendants.

Multimedia

Cylinder Seals
What are cylinder seals and how were they used by the ancient Mesopotamians?

Life in Ancient Mesopotamia
What was life like in ancient Mesopotamia? Find out in this video featuring Oriental Institute Assyriologist Dr. Martha Roth.

Suggested Readings

Barber, Elizabeth Wayland. Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1994.

Collon, Dominique. Interpreting the Past: Near Eastern Seals. University of California Press. 1990.

Roaf, Michael. Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia and the Ancient Near East. New York: Facts on File, 1990.

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