古代近东地区印章的起源

A Primitive Study on the Origin of the Seal in Ancient Near East

近东是世界文明发端地区之一,蕴含了诸多早期文明发展要素的源头。作为其核心文明地区的两河流域,在印章的起源和早期应用上表现出一定的特点,其印章起源年代较早,形态独特且应用广泛,出现平印和滚印两大类型。平印从技术和功能角度而言可能脱胎于史前时期的陶拍模和护身符,滚印的出现则可能与当时城邦经济发展、政治管理复杂化有较为密切的关系。

Mesopotamia, as the core area of the Near East civi-lization, expressed some characteristics and representativeness inthe origin and use of early seal. Its seals originated early and wereused widely. The stamp seals, from a technical and functionalpoint of view, maybe emerged from prehistoric ceramic bat andtalismans. And that, the cylinder seals, the major type ofMesopotamian seals, their appearance maybe connected withrapid economic development and social complication manage-ment at that time.