Early Bronze Age Seal-Impressed Vessels from Hirbet Ez-Zeraqon

Valentina Tumolo gained a PhD in Archaeology at Sapienza University of Rome in Italy, with a dissertation on the Early Bronze Age seal-impressed vessels from the Levant and northeastern Syria, conducted in collaboration with the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen in Germany. As well as the study of sealing systems and the organisation of craft production, her research interests centre on the dynamics leading to the emergence of complex societies and inequality, particularly focusing on the processes of storage and administration of food staples. Through successful participation in several excavations in Southwest Asia and large multi-disciplinary projects conducted in Italy, Germany, the UK, USA, and Spain, Tumolo has addressed and analysed topics associated with human behaviours in relation to resources exploitation, combining archaeological science techniques with conventional approaches to build coherent and effective narratives.

• Chapter 1: The practice of impressing vessels with seals in the Levant and northeastern Syria in the 4th and 3rd millennia BCE. Geographical setting, chronology, history of research, materials and methodsChapter 2: Ḫirbet ez-Zeraqōn: an Early Bronze Age site in the northern Jordan ValleyChapter 3: The seal-impressed pottery from Ḫirbet ez-ZeraqōnChapter 4: Southern LevantChapter 5: Central LevantChapter 6: Northern LevantChapter 7: Middle EuphratesChapter 8: JezirahChapter 9: Developments of the vessel-sealing phenomenon in the Levant and northeastern Syria in the 4th and 3rd millennia BCEChapter 10: Conclusion: features and meaning of the pot-sealing practiceReferencesCatalogue: Ḫirbet ez-ZeraqōnAppendix A: Table of Finds – Southern LevantAppendix B: Table of Finds – Central LevantAppendix C: Table of Finds – Northern LevantAppendix D: Table of Finds – Middle EuphratesAppendix E: Table of Finds – Jezirah