Old Seals New Stories: The Copper Age–early Bronze Age Stone Stamp Seals and Sealing Practices From Ali̇şar Höyük

Summary This study examines 13 stone stamp seals excavated from the Copper and Early Bronze Age levels at Alişar and currently housed in the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations at Ankara (Türkiye). Through detailed documentation, typological analysis and comparison with sealing traditions in Anatolia and neighbouring regions, it explores their formal, iconographic and cultural characteristics. The seals demonstrate transcultural distribution patterns, reflecting intensified interregional interactions in the latter half of the Early Bronze Age. In particular, serpentine seals – similar in form to metal examples – are thought to have been burnished and used as alternatives to metal ones. It is also suggested that these stone seals may have been produced by local artisans. The Alişar seal assemblage reveals a synthesis of local and external influences and likely fulfilled both administrative and symbolic functions. By systematically presenting the typological diversity of the Alişar seals, this study sheds light on the cultural dynamics and interregional connections of Anatolia during the Early Bronze Age.