
At first glance, when you walk through a museum, they may look rather unassuming - small cylindrical items with strange lines carved into them. Look a bit closer; you will see gods, kings, mythical beasts, and the Mesopotamians' everyday world! These little cylinders profoundly impacted the world, contributing to another key Mesopotamian innovation: writing!
Much like how we curate our social media today, these cylinder seals reveal ancient people's names and jobs and show us how communities saw themselves and the universe around them. They are snapshots of a distant past preserved in carved clay or stone as precursors to the written word. Emerging around 5000 years ago, they may have impacted writing development and served as an essential part of urban social structures: from bureaucracy to banking, fashion to identity; they were used in various ways.

However, one thing that becomes clear is that specific themes that help us understand the Mesopotamian world appear. Images of religion feature heavily, particularly with motifs of gods either as figures or as celestial symbols, mythical beasts, violence and power, and the world around them. The continual struggle of chaos vs order is the 'raison d'etre' for the Mesopotamian pantheon; a look at the Babylonian Creation myth highlights how the gods overthrew the first gods and structured the world. Many mythical beasts appearing on the cylinder seals were the spawn of Tiamat, who fought against Marduk, a reminder of the need for order in a chaotic world. Look how often the gods are seen standing on top of beasts or are seen to be leashed and in the hands of the gods. Try to look out for mermaids, scorpion men (and scorpion women!), Mushushu, and snake beasts!

As cities developed, we also started to see the images of Kings appear more, usually in scenes of religious devotion, highlighting that they were fulfilling their duty to preserve earthly order. As legends grew around these mythical kings, King Etana and Gilgamesh, for example, we see well-known scenes carved into the seals: King Etana seated on the back of an eagle seeking the plant of birth as well as the killing of Humbaba by Gilgamesh and Enkidu. We start to see how expression through images could be political early in history; connecting legendary kings to personal seals is a power statement.

But not all these cylinder seals shower great kings, fantastical beasts, or powerful gods. We see farming scenes, daily life, and even ancient medical practices. For those who have travelled to the marshes, apparent similarities can be drawn between the architecture and water buffalos, whilst geometric lines represent the ever-giving river waters. This shows how some people wanted to be seen - as farmers with large herds or doctors with great skill - hopefully. Human images carved into precious stones preserve how they wanted to be identified.

The importance of the cylinder seal inspired an ever-continuing innovation. Although modern e-signatures may not have many options to add motifs and pictures, they are an expression of identity that originated in ancient Mesopotamia. This importance inspired Iraqi artists such as Jewad Salim and Mohammed Ghani Hikmet, whose impressive public artwork still stands in Baghdad. The 'Freedom Monument' of Baghdad can take its inspiration from the impression left by a cylinder seal to tell the story of the 14th July Revolution with themes of power, agriculture, and chaos again used in a modern setting. Hikmet's 'Saving Iraqi Culture' monument with its scrolling cuneiform 'Writing started here' is a testament to the need to preserve Iraqi heritage, a call to everyone who passes by and a very visual statement of the need to use everything we have to rescue a culture in crisis. Unfortunately, both artists died before their works were completed, but their 'cylinder seals' have been left to us as public gifts.
During the next workshop, participants will explore the motifs and images of ancient Mesopotamia to see if we do the same with our social media. Where are those roots in today's society? After deciphering images and exploring their impact on modern Iraqi art, participants will get the chance to carve their own, working with Muhanned to create their modern interpretations, continuing the journey from ancient Mesopotamia to the modern day. Muhanned is an awardee sculptor and painter who is passionate about Mesopotamia. Born in Diwaniya, he is the latest artistic member of a long line of creatives; he celebrates Iraq's cultures through his work and is keen to share it with all. He will lead a sculpture session for our participants to explore their ancient roots. Creative Roots is part of the TARII Heritage Grant Program with funding from the JM Kaplan Foundation and implemented in collaboration with Creative Iraq. The Creative Roots team would also like to thank Dr Luma for supporting this workshop and appreciate her assistance.
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