THE USE OF SEALS AS A SAFEGUARDS TOOL

Throughout history, seals have been used to protect objects and to authenticate documents. The early Egyptians made extensive use of clay seals for the protection of cabinets, rooms and sarcophagi. In preserved old Egyptian cabinets, one notices a lack of locks in the conventional sense, and the presence of knobs on the lids and sides, conveniently located so that a string can be lashed between them with both ends protected by a clay seal. Also, in the tomb of Tutankamen clay seals were used extensively to protect the entrance to the various rooms. Graphiti on the walls near doors record the times at which inspectors verified that the seals were intact. The Egyptian reliance on seals for protection could perhaps be understood on the basis of the great prestige of the Pharaoh, prestige maintained by the educational system and by the church at a level so high that for centuries Egypt could be governed on the basis of psychological control and could remain essentially without police. Yet the limitation of the protection afforded by seals is evidenced by the early violations of Tutankamen's tomb by contemporaries quite familiar with the floor plan and the contents of the rooms. As mentioned in a papyrus at the British Museum, the tomb of Ramesses II was pillaged by the priests responsible for the inspection and care of the Ramesseum. In the near east, seals developed into means for identification for authors of clay tablets, and of envelopes.* In China, seals were stamped with ink on paper, for identification of documents. The practice evolved into printing blocks for books.