The Ancient Near Eastern Glyptic Collections of the Royal Museums of Art and History Reconsidered

The Royal Museums of Art and History of Brussels (RMAH) boast a rich and world-renowned collection of glyptic material from the Ancient Near East. The collection consists of stamp and cylinder seals, seal impressions and sealings, originating from a broad range of cultures and dating from the beginning of their production down to the Roman period. They illustrate the entire historical development of a type of object that provides unique insights into the economic, cultural, enviromental and political history of a vast region. Over the years, many of these seals, seal impressions and sealings have been studied and published, but a comprehensive revision of the entire corpus imposed itself since long date. This contribution presents the first results of this scientific and museological exercise.status: publishe