Cylinder Seal with Hieroglyphs

Description

<p>This cylinder seal is inscribed with early hieroglyphic signs that most likely spell a personal name or title. The seal is pierced lengthwise so as to be worn as a personal ornament that acted as both a marker of status and a protective charm. This seal dates to the beginning of the Egyptian state during the First Dynasty or the early Second Dynasty (ca. 2960-2649 BCE). Administrative cylinder seals also existed during this early period, however based on the known provenance of many of these seal-types—non-royal tombs—this seal’s function was most likely to help maintain the deceased’s funerary cult rather than to act as an administrative tool.</p><p>For the latest information about this object, <cite><a href='https://purl.thewalters.org/art/42.173' rel='external'>Cylinder Seal with Hieroglyphs</a></cite>, visit the Online Collection of the Walters Art Museum.</p>