Metodi di codifica e analisi per lo studio di immagini strutturate: un'applicazione ai sigilli cilindrici del periodo di Uruk/Jemdet Nasr

Elena Rova

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 1995, 6, 7-34

Abstract

A corpus of 963 images belonging to Near-Eastern seals of the Uruk/Jamdet Nasr period (late fourth Millennium BC) was analysed and classified through multivariate analysis techniques, applied on both presence/absence of iconographical elements and a text describing each image. Methods and results are discussed and compared. The presence/absence analysis is the most effective in dividing the corpus into different groups of images (scenes with common animals, “special” animals such as hybrids, war, religious, complex handicraft and schematic handicraft scenes). The results of textual analysis are similar in many respects, though here common features between different groups of seals are underscored. Textual analysis also seems a promising approach for the study of syntactical patterning of the seal images. The study of repeated segments (i.e. fixed sequences of lexical forms occurring in different texts) proved the existence of fixed sun-patterns, consisting of two or more elements and attitudes, which occur in images belonging both to the same group of seals and to different ones. Fixed sun-patterns tend, however, to occur more frequently on images characterized by a simple and repetitive structure, whereas they are only rarely used in the most complex seals. Finally, results of both analyses effectively proved that the iconography of the seals is related to their origin and function. Religious scenes and representations of hybrids, snakes, birds and lions generally occur on seals or sealings found in temple contexts, often on sealings fastening movable containers or storeroom doors; war scenes are apparently found only in urban centres. Complex handicraft scenes tend to be found in storeroom or in domestic contexts, often on “clay balls” (sort of primitive administrative documents). Finally, schematic images generally occur in domestic, non-official context. Schematic seals were apparently rarely used for sealing; most of their images derive from original seals and not from impressions. On the other hand, religious scenes seem especially typical of southern Mesopotamia, complex handicraft scenes of Iran and Syria, whereas identical schematic seals are found in all geographical areas. Further developments of the methods tested on the seal corpus (firstly through a deeper interaction with repeated segments analysis; secondly through development of methods for the analysis of the general image composition and finally through an integrated approach considering all aspects together) may lead to interesting results for the study not only of the seals themselves, but in general of structured images of different kinds.

Figures

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