The Elamite Cylinder Seal Corpus, C.3500 – 1000 BC
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The Elamite Cylinder Seal Corpus, c.3500 – 1000 BC Volume I, Part III K. J. Roach Doctor of Philosophy, (Near Eastern) Archaeology 2008 The University of Sydney Chapter 5 – Summary of Style Distribution across the Elamite Sites The purpose of this chapter is to detail and outline the specific glyptic style distribution at each site included in the Corpus. This survey has two main objectives. The first is the summation and discussion of the Elamite styles from each site, and thereby the revision and reassessment of the ‘glyptic material’ survey presented for each site in the initial site survey section (Chapter 2), by detailing the site glyptic material in the terms of the new Elamite stylistic paradigm here presented. The second intention is to provide some of the background information and data, be it contextual, stylistic and chronological, regarding the function of various glyptic items at each site and across Elam, thereby enabling the following discussion on glyptic function (Chapter 6). The style distribution (how many styles and in what proportions) of each site will be presented, and thereby the basic chronological distribution of the glyptic material, with any necessary discussion where this information strongly contradicts the established chronological periodisation of a site, will be outlined. The glyptic material types (seals/sealings) and the specific materials will be presented, as will any information regarding seal function from provenance (that is, grave or temple context etc.) or type (sealing type especially). For the most part, this information may be presented and detailed in graphs, figures and tables. 5.1 Susa As already mentioned and explained, Susa has contributed by far the most items to the Corpus. Table and Graph 5.1 illustrate the distribution of the two thousand seven hundred and fifty-five Susian items across the Elamite styles. As is evidenced, and as has already been mentioned in regards to the articulation of the styles, the only true style not represented at Susa is the ‘Anshanite Style’ (AS) (the ‘Not Illustrated’ classification is also not represented at Susa, though this is more a publication phenomenon, than a question of stylistic distribution). The absence of the AS style at Susa is indicative, and indeed characteristic, of the style, and aids in its definition as ‘Anshanite’ rather than generally Susian or Elamite. Susa is the only site in the Corpus that was continuously occupied throughout the entire span of this study (see Chapter 2 for details). This archaeological reality concurs with the glyptic style distribution, as all periods are represented in the styles of Susa. A comparison between Graph 5.1 and summary Graph 4.81 indicates that the Susian glyptic style proportions generally accord with the total Corpus proportions (the most notable ECS Corpus, Volume I, Part III 577 exception being the EME style, the total large number of which may be accounted for by the extraordinary contribution of Haft Tepe to that particular corpus), both as one may expect from the majority contributing site of Susa, and as indicates the central role of Susa in the Elamite Corpus. Style Distribution STS 375 PEU 156 JNRS 252 OBRS 88 CPE 296 PEO 43 GS 255 EME 46 AGD 283 KRS 13 STF 284 LME 35 SF 109 LPS 44 LSF 20 LGD 34 ARS 145 No Image 21 PEA 75 Miscellaneous 8 UTRS 116 Unclassifiable 57 2755 Table 5.1. Susa style distribution. 380 360 340 320 300 280 260 240 220 200 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 S S S O E e PE GS TF SF EA RS us ST C S LSF ARS P PEU BR PE EME K LM LPS LGD JNRS AGD UTR O mag neo o I la N el isc M Graph 5.1. Susa style distribution. Table and Graph 5.2 indicate the glyptic type (seal/sealing) proportions of the Susian corpus. The supremacy of seals over sealings (seals accounts for over 57% of the Susian corpus) again almost exactly replicates the seal/sealing division for the ECS Corpus, Volume I, Part III 578 entire Corpus (see Graph 4.84), indicating the general dominance of Susa within the Corpus. Glyptic Type Seals 1574 Sealings 1181 Table 5.2. Susa glyptic types. Seals Sealings Graph 5.2. Susa glyptic types. Table 5.3 lists the material types of the Susian Corpus and Graph 5.3 illustrates the proportions of the significant material type contributors (those with five or more items). The fact that <undifferentiated sealings> represents the largest single group of Susian glyptic materials concurs both with the distribution pattern of the wider Elamite Corpus (Graph 4.83), and with the general age and quality or approach of the majority Susian publications (that is, before the importance, and indeed the methods, of sealing type recognition were known). It is anticipated that with further (physical) study, many of these items may be identified as jar sealings, door lock sealings and so on, and thereby fill the general void of these items in the Susian corpus. The significant number of <sealed tablets> at Susa (the second largest group) also conforms with the general Corpus pattern, and indicates that seals were regularly used to seal tablets at Susa. The significant number of <bullae> at Susa should also be noted, and illustrates a glyptic administrative function associated with these items (in at least the earlier periods) at Susa, a point returned to below (Chapter 6). The reduced (but still relatively large body) of <faience> seals at Susa in comparison with the wider Corpus is of note (faience forms the largest seal material group in the Corpus, while it is only the fourth largest seal group at Susa, after <limestone>, <bitumen aggregate>, and <glazed steatite>). The general dominance of <faience> in the Corpus may be attributed to the extraordinarily large faience corpora ECS Corpus, Volume I, Part III 579 of Choga Zanbil and Surkh Dum-i-Luri (both further detailed below). It is of note that this ‘artificial’ material is in great dominance at two sites that shared a specific, and exceptional, votive function only (for the glyptic corpora), as will be returned to below in the function discussion (Chapter 6). In this regard it is also pertinent to note the total absence of any <glass> seals at Susa (in light of their significant numbers at Choga Zanbil, thus indicating that glass may be a specific Choga Zanbil, or votive [or both] material). The general dominance of <limestone> accords with the overall material distribution of the Corpus. The material <bitumen aggregate> is the second largest seal material in the Susian corpus, and as demonstrated by Graph 4.83, the third largest material in the total Corpus. The significant contribution of the total <bitumen aggregate> corpus is in fact Susian (Susa contributes nearly 95% of the total <bitumen aggregate> corpus, or 259/274 items). Thus more (or perhaps, less) than being a uniquely Elamite material, <bitumen aggregate> may be described as essentially Susian (this concurs with the above cited <bitumen aggregate> study [Connan & Deschesne 1996] and the discussion of this still elusive material [Chapter 1]). Aside from these standout materials, the general variability in the Susian material corpus (indeed, the greatest variability of any of the sites under discussion here) reflects the great size of the data set, and concurs with what one might expect of such a large group. Glyptic Materials Limestone 303 Aragonite 18 Terra cotta 97 Marble 60 Heulandite 31 Bone 1 Sandstone 4 Hematite 53 Shell 113 Lapis lazuli 22 Serpentine 34 Copper 3 Basalt 8 Schist 50 Bitumen aggregate 259 Steatite 82 Black stone 1 Faience 121 Rock crystal 4 Black rock 2 Glazed steatite 149 Carnelian 2 Brown stone 1 Unknown cylinder 58 Milky quartz 2 Green stone 1 Ball of clay 1 Flint 1 Grey rock 1 Sealed bulla(e) 213 Amethyst 1 Grey stone 7 Sealing(s) 588 Chalcedony 1 Greyish stone 1 Door lock sealing 3 Agate 2 Green volcanic rock 1 Jar sealing 50 Jasper 22 White stone 4 Wall lock sealing 3 Sealed envelope 2 Alabaster/gypsum 45 Clay cylinder 9 Sealed tablet(s) 320 Table 5.3. Susa glyptic materials. ECS Corpus, Volume I, Part III 580 600 550 500 450 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 Limestone Marble Lapis lazuli Several different functionalBasal interpretat Steatite other glyptic corpora, on the basis both of Jasper above (Chapter 1), and laterGraph returned 5.3.Alab Susa to ainglypticster/ greater gmaterialsypsu detailm (with (Chapter five or 6), more two examples). glyptic functions may be identified through pr Aragonite Heulandite Provenance in a tomb or grave context provi Hematite provenance in a temple (or other cult installation) allows for a votive functionSerpen ttoine be attributed to a seal. It shoul Schist votive, excludes the possibility that the se Grey stone Clay cylinder administrative function. The details of Terra cotta discerning such dual (or more) functional seals, Shell In terms of type, a sealing of Bitumen aggregate tablet, pure undifferentiated sea provenancetions andmay type. be seenAs already in the outlinedSusianFaience and Glazed steatite to make the impression had an administrative d be noted that neither of th Unknown cylinder so used also had a more ethereal, symbo Sealed bulla(e) ovenance or archaeological context. depositional function cannot similarly be disc Sealing(s) according to participation in a writing-centred des a funerary interpretation for a seal; Jar sealing Sealed tablet(s) ECS Corpus, Volume I, Part III any type (jar sealing, door al originally held a more traditional lings and so on) providesthis evidence discussion, that the and seal used ese two functions, funerary nor will be returned to below (Chapter 6).