Article

An impression of ruler identity: Legitimate power through iconography in third millennium Upper Mesopotamian glyptic – Case study Nabada

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Abstract

This study examines glyptic iconography in third millennium bce Upper Mesopotamia, showing how cylinder seals functioned not only as administrative devices but also as instruments of ideological expression. From the Uruk period, where the ‘priest-king’ is depicted as a martial ruler, seal imagery established a visual language that bound authority to themes of dominance, ritual, and hierarchy. In the Early Dynastic III period, the corpus from Tell Beydar/Nabada demonstrates how provincial centres actively participated in this tradition. The exclusive Wagon 01 seal, restricted to palace contexts and applied only on door peg sealings, illustrates the use of complex narrative designs to reinforce elite authority. Comparative evidence highlights connections with a broader Near Eastern iconographic repertoire, including parallels in Egyptian royal imagery. These examples reveal that Mesopotamian glyptic art did not merely represent power but actively enacted it, embedding political authority in both administrative practice and visual culture.

How to Cite:

Bretschneider, J. & Jans, G., (2025) “An impression of ruler identity: Legitimate power through iconography in third millennium Upper Mesopotamian glyptic – Case study Nabada”, Akkadica 146(1), 9-26. doi: https://doi.org/10.21825/akkadica.100524