As their name implies, cylinders seals are cylinders, generally of stone, that were carved with a design so that when they are rolled out on clay a continuous impression in relief is produced. They were usually pierced lengthwise so that they could be worn on a pin or string, or mounted on a swivel. Cylinder seals were developed during the second half of the fourth millennium B.C. in southern Mesopotamia and in southwestern Iran as a convenient way of covering large areas of clay used for sealing storeroom locks, goods carried in jars, bags, boxes or baskets and--above all--the clay tablets used for about 3,000 years as the main vehicle for cuneiform writing. The designs on cylinder seals are a valuable source of information for scholars today. They chronicle developments in the iconography of deities, mythology and daily life as well as recording special events. This extraordinary cylinder seal features two standing human figures, each facing a pair of stylized animals. The human figures reach out toward the animals that appear to be fighting, their raised bodies intricately intertwined. A stylized plant positioned on a stand flanks each of the human figures. Skillful carving fills this scene with a vitality of spirit that captures our fervent imagination, transporting us back over 4,000 years to the very cradle of civilization itself. - (FJ.5467)