Craftsmen’s Marks on Glazed Bricks and Ivories from the 1st Millenium BCE in the Ancient Near East and What They can Tell us About Their Makers

This lecture will take place in person at ISAW.

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Glazed architectural decoration of temples and palaces in the Ancient Near East can be attested from the mid-15th century BCE onwards. Prominent monuments such as the Ishtar Gate from Babylon (7th–6th century BCE) or the Sin Temple from Khorsabad (8th century BCE), and the famous reconstructed rounded glazed brick panel from Fort Shalmeneser in Nimrud (9th century BCE) have been widely discussed, particularly in regard to their rich iconography. Recent studies have begun to focus more closely on the production, construction, and assembly of these monuments by ancient brickmakers, bricklayers, masons, and artisans.

This lecture investigates the functions of craftsmen's marks found on various surfaces of glazed bricks from the 1st millennium BCE. It will be shown at which stages of the production and construction process these marks were applied. The presentation will not only address the results of examining craftsmen’s marks on glazed bricks but will also highlight the challenges involved in analyzing these intriguing signs. What can these marks tell us about their makers - and what are the limits of such interpretations? Furthermore, a striking connection will be explored: not only do glazed bricks from Nimrud bear fitters' marks, but so do ivories from the same site, all dating to the 9th century BCE. A first glimpse into the re-study of these marks will be presented.

May-Sarah Zeßin is a Visiting Research Scholar at ISAW (NYU) and an archaeologist specializing in the Ancient Near East. She holds a B.A. in Cultural Studies (Viadrina University Frankfurt Oder) and an M.A. in History and Cultures of the Ancient Near East (Freie Universität Berlin). In July 2025, she received her PhD at Goethe University Frankfurt am Main on the technological aspects of glazed architectural elements, with a focus on craftsmen’s marks on glazed bricks from Mesopotamia and northwestern Iran in the 1st millennium BCE. From 2017 to 2022, she was a research associate at the Vorderasiatisches Museum Berlin (GlAssur project) and previously worked at the German Archaeological Institute (Eurasia Department). Her research integrates archaeology, philology, and museum studies, with interests in craftsmanship, material culture, and cultural exchange.

The lecture will be followed by a reception.

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