Clay is abundant here in the shallow earth. I used gray clay to form a small pot and lid. After firing it, I discovered a small leak. I learned that soap plant can be used to seal pots, so I dug up a ...

The clay stamps range in size from 0.2 to 0.8 inches (5 to 20 millimeters) and were used to seal documents made of papyrus and parchment, a material made from the skin of a sheep or goat.

Before Mesopotamian people invented writing, they used cylinder seals to press patterns into wet clay – and some of the symbols used were carried over into proto-writing ...