The Indus Script: Texts, Concordance and Tables c9.s3.1

c9.s3.1

Preserved ancient seal impressions prove that the Indus seals have served as instruments of control in administration and trade, as in ancient West Asia.27 Some seal impressions have been made, undoubtedly by the potter, on wet clay pots before firing (cf., e.g., M-420 to 424). Other impressions have survived on clay tags, once attached to bales of goods whose integrity they thus guaranteed. The most important collection of such labels comes from the burnt warehouse of Lothal (L-124 ff.).28 The study of the seals and seal impressions in combination with their archaeological contexts and details of style and manufacture can significantly contribute to the understanding of the economic and administrative aspects of an ancient civilization.29