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Issue 24

الأختام الدائرية في جزيرة فيلكا

الدكتور/ سلطان مطلق الدويش

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Abstract

Seals are the most important cultural relics discovered in the land of Dilmun and are considered symbols of worship, as well as a source for understanding Dilmuni art, its level, and its development. They were distinguished by their independence in executing scene elements, relying on refined artistic taste and delicate sensibility. Dilmuni seals spread widely, reaching Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, southern Arabia, and ancient Syria. A seal is a small, round piece of stone with an average diameter of 2.5–3 cm, featuring two sides and a semi-spherical protrusion. The artist engraved, through intaglio carving, three parallel lines and two pairs of circles with a central dot . The main ideas and designs were often simple, represented by opposing symbolic engravings, schematic human figures, a foot symbol, and depictions of animals—particularly gazelles, bulls, snakes, scorpions, and sailboats. The study of seals includes understanding the economic and social conditions, the period to which the engraving belongs, the style and decoration, and the functional analysis of the seal.