Sealings as artefacts and as archaeological evidence. Trends in the studies of the Old Kingdom clay sealings
2020
Abstract
Clay sealings (or cretulae) are herein presented in the context of their history, function and archaeological research. The author shows the development achieved in recent decades in the study of clay sealings as they are studied not only as vehicle of epigraphical evidence, but as an artefact involved in specific practices and capable of providing details on the ancient economy and administration.
Some intricacies implied in the construction of specialists' reports will be elucidated. The focus of the article (and of the presentation of the methodology's development) is specifically the study of the sealing material from the Egyptian Old Kingdom.