4,700-Year-Old Seal Impressions Found in Greece May Rewrite History of Writing
ByDimitrios Aristopoulos June 4, 20251/2
PICTURE 1
Two seal impressions found on a large storage vessel, dated to the Early Bronze Age (2700–2300 BC),raise compelling questions about the role of Greece’s Cyclades islands in the emergence of script—potentially rewriting the more commonly accepted narrative that places the birth of writing on Minoan Crete at around 2000 BC. This new archaeological discovery on the island of Therasia, near Santorini, Greece, may prompt a rethinking of the origins of writing in the Aegean world.
The discovery and seal context
The find took place at the site known as “Koimisi” on Therasia, a volcanic island belonging to the Santorini archipelago. Archaeologists Dr. Konstantinos Sbonias, Dr. Vassiliki Papazikou, and Dr. Iris Tzachili uncovered a handle from a large pithos (storage jar) within a Bronze Age settlement room. Remarkably, the handle bore two distinct seal impressions that had been stamped into the clay before the vessel was fired, preserving them permanently.
The seals—labeled THS.1 and THS.2 by the research team—are thought to represent a highly unusual and early form of symbolic expression. Scientific analysis has dated them to between 2700 and 2300 BC. This period is significantly earlier than the known Aegean writing systems, such as Cretan Hieroglyphic or Linear A. The later emerged around 2000 BC.
Seal THS.1 is the most compelling of the two. It consists of a sequence of abstract symbols aligned in three horizontal rows, resembling a structured inscription. The symbols include leaf-like shapes, spirals, and geometric motifs whose precise meaning remains unknown.
As a result of this organized arrangement, scholars have theorized that the seal may represent a rudimentary communication system. It was possibly used to convey ownership, content identification, or even personal names. The symbols do not constitute writing in the formal sense. However, their alignment and repetition imply a conceptual leap toward structured symbolic thought. This is a key step in the development of true writing.
The second seal, THS.2, appears to be of a more decorative character, bearing geometric motifs such as triangles and meanders. These are hallmarks of Cycladic art of the Early Bronze Age. Its aesthetic design implies it may have served recognitional or status-signaling functions rather than conveying linguistic information.
Trade, symbolism, and early communication systems
The stylistic similarity of the second seal to other Cycladic seals discovered across the Aegean also hints at an interconnected maritime culture. In this, visual symbols functioned as both artistic and semiotic tools.
Scientific analysis of the ceramic material revealed that the clay used to make the pithos did not originate on Therasia. Instead, it came from Naxos, a larger Cycladic island.This suggests active inter-island trade during the Early Bronze Age. It also raises the possibility that the seals may have conveyed information related to origin, ownership, or quality. It is perhaps akin to a prehistoric branding system.
Moreover, the presence of two distinct seals—one textual, the other decorative—on a single object implies a more sophisticated symbolic framework than previously assumed for this era.It is suggestive of the emergence of dual-purpose labeling systems, wherein function and status coexisted.
https://greekreporter.com/2025/06/04/writing-origins-aegean-cyclades/