Dilmunite Seals

The images above come from the 1983 publication Failaka/Dilmun: the Second Millennium Settlements, volume 1:1 the Stamp and Cylinder Seals, by Paul Kjaerum as part of the Danish Archaeological Investigations on Failaka

The Dilmun Civilization was “an ancient independent kingdom that flourished c. 2000 BCE, centered on Bahrain Island. Dilmun is mentioned as a commercial centre in Sumerian economic texts of the late 4th millennium BCE, when it was a transshipment point for goods between Sumer and the Indus Valley. Bārbār, the remains of an ancient temple (largely built of limestone) situated on Bahrain Island, and many thousands of burial mounds attest to the island’s prominence.” The trading network of the Dilmunites extended beyond Bahrain, with Failaka Island in Kuwait being an important location. On Failaka, the Dilmunites “constructed a large temple and palace complex.” They also left behind hundreds of stamp seals. According to a 2015 publication Failaka Seals Catalogue, “Seals were used to ‘sign’ trade agreements, written in cuneiform script on clay tablets. From 1958 to 1963 almost 400 circular stamp seals were found in mounds covering ancient settlements at the southwest coast of Failaka.” More seals have continued to turn up in excavations since the 1960s. A series of the seals found in Voice of the Oud by Jehan Rajab and linoleum engraving by artist Thuraya Albaqsami inspired by the Failaka seals:

These maps come from this blog, reddit, and the paper “The Riddle of the Springs of Dilmun”

Here are more images from the Danish archaeological team

Here are Dilmunite Seals on display at the Kuwait National Museum.

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