New Precedents and Insights from Stamp Seal Photography

Abstract

As part of the Stamp Seals from the Southern Levant (SSSL) project, a program of photography of ca. 1150 stamp seals and seal impressions was undertaken over the course of 2022. Through the implementation of this large-scale photography program, two aspects came to the fore: (1) the necessity of publishing our photographic methodology to give context to the images of these stamp seals and seal impressions; and (2) several new insights into the seals were gained from this program concerning their material identification, perforation forms, and misalignment of base iconography. This article presents the publication of our photographic methodology, which we hope will not only serve to counteract potential misinterpretations of stamp seals and seal impressions from the region (e.g., color, orientation), but also set a precedent for the transparent discussion of these photographic processes in the future.