 A team of archaeologists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) made a rare discovery when they unearthed a small clay seal impression dating back some 7000 years. The impression, with two different geometric stamps imprinted on it, was discovered in Tel Tsaf, a prehistoric village located in Israel's Beit She'an Valley up north.
The discovery was made as part of a dig that took place between 2004
and 2007 and was led by HU's Professor Yosef Garfinkel along with two of his
students, Professor David Ben Shlomo and Dr. Michael Freikman, both of whom are
now researchers at Ariel University. One hundred and fifty clay sealings were
originally found at the site, with one being particularly rare and of distinct,
historic importance. The object was published in the journal Levant.
Sealings, also known as bulla, are made of a small piece of clay were
used in historical times to seal and sign letters and to prevent others from
reading their contents. The sealing found in Tel Tsaf is particularly
significant because it is the first evidence of the use of seals to mark
shipments or to close silos or barns. When a barn door was opened, its seal
impression would break - a telltale sign that someone had been there and that
the contents inside had been touched or taken. "Even today, similar types
of sealing are used to prevent tampering and theft," explained Garfinkel.
"It turns out that this was already in use 7,000 years ago by land owners
and local administrators to protect their property."
Measuring less than a centimeter wide, the fragment was found in great
condition due to the dry climate of the Beit She'an valley. The sealing is
marked by symmetrical lines. While many sealings found in First Temple
Jerusalem (ca. 2,600 years ago) include a personal name and sometimes biblical
figures, the sealing from Tel Tsaf is from a prehistoric era, when writing was
not yet in use. Those seals were decorated with geometric shapes instead of
letters. The fact that there are two different stamps on the seal impression
may indicate a form of commercial activity where the two different people were
involved in the transaction.
The found fragment underwent extensive analysis before researchers
could determine that it was indeed a seal impression. According to Garfinkel,
this is the earliest evidence that seals were used in Israel approximately
7,000 years ago to sign deliveries and keep store rooms closed. While seals
have been found in that region dating back to 8,500 years ago, seal impressions
from that time have not been found.
Based on a careful scientific analysis of the sealing's clay, the
researchers found it wasn't locally sourced but came from a location at least
ten kilometers away. Other archeological finds at the site reveal evidence that
the Tel Tsaf residents were in contact with populations far beyond ancient
Israel. "At this very site we have evidence of contact with peoples from
Mesopotamia, Turkey, Egypt and Caucasia," Garfinkel added. "There is
no prehistoric site anywhere in the Middle East that reveals evidence of such
long-distance trade in exotic items as what we found at this particular
site."
The site also yielded clues that the area was home to people of
considerable wealth who built up large stores of ingredients and materials,
indicating considerable social development. This evidence points to Tel Tsaf as
having been a key position in the region that served both local communities and
people passing through. "We hope that continued excavations at Tel Tsaf
and other places from the same time period will yield additional evidence to
help us understand the impact of a regional authority in the southern
Levant," concluded Garfinkel.
Source: The Hebrew University of JerusalemÂ
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