Cylinder Seals by H. FrankfortReview by: M. F. Ashley MontaguIsis, Vol. 32, No. 1 (Jul., 1940), pp. 174-175Published by: The University of Chicago Press on behalf of The History of Science SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/226077 .

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I74 ISIS, XXXII, I

= Hou-mi-tan, 402I, 78I2, io6oo). Fur den arabisch-persischen Konsonanten ghain verwendet er nebeneinander die Symbole 3 (S. 9, Z. i) und g (S. 9, Fussnote I). All dies sind naturlich relativ unwichfige Dilige, die jedoch sicherlich nicht zur Erleichterung der Lektiire beitragen.

Die vorstehenden kritischen Bemerkungen k6nnten vielleicht den Anschein erwecken, dass der Referent dem Buche MNIARKWARTS gegenuber eine durchaus ablehnende Stellung einnimmt. Dass dies ganz und gar nicht der Fall ist, sei deshalb hier mit allem Nachdruck hervorgehoben. Die ausserordentliche Bedeutung der MARKwARTschen Arbeiten ist uber jeden Zweifel erhaben und hat uberdies schon langst so allgemeine Anerkennung gefunden, dass hieruber kaum mehr ein Wort zu verlieren sein durfte. MARKWART verfugte uber die reichsten Gaben, ein unerhort vielseitiges Wissen und eine kaum vorstelibare Belesenheit in den Literaturen der verschiedensten Volker. So war er wie kein anderer dazu berufen, auch die schwierigsten Probleme in Angriff zu nehmen und immer neue Erkenntnisse zu Tage zu fordern. Nur die Klarheit der Darstellung, die Kunst der Synthese, war ibm nicht gegeben. Zumeist steht er eher in den Problemen als iber ihnen, und nur selten gelingt es ihm, der rein technischen Schwierigkeiten bei der Niederschrift seiner Werke Herr zu werden.

Auch Wehrdt und Arang leidet stark unter diesem Mangel, aber als Positivum bleibt immer eine enorme Filile von Ideen und Erkenntnissen. Mancher Spatere wird sich noch mnit diesem Werke eingehend auseinanderzusetzen haben und aus ihm nach miihevoller Arbeit reichen Nutzen ziehen.

Das 48 Nununern umfassende Verzeichnis der Schriften JosEu MARKWARTS am Schiusse der Einleitung (S. 53-6I) ist mit wenigen Erginzungen dem Essai de bibliographie des travaux de J. MARKWART von V. MINORSKY (Jounzal asiatique 217, oct.-dec. 1930, P. 313-324)

entnommen. Die aus BARTHOLDS Turkestan down to the lMongolian Itvasion uibernommene moderne Karte des Amu darja- und Syr darja- Gebietes kommt den Bedurfnissen des Lesers einigermassen entgegen.

Druck und Ausstattung des Buches sind hervorragend. WILLY HARTNER.

H. Frankfort.-Cylinder Seals. XLVII+328 p., Plates XLVII. New York: The MACMILLAN Co., 1939 ($14.00).

The cylinder seal constitutes Mesopotamia's most original contribution to art. Its origin precedes the invention of writing. Those seals which have been recovered from a number of sites in the Near East cover a period of some three thousand years, during which everv conceivable variety of material was used in the manufacture of them, and an

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REVIEWS '75

infinite variety of designs, scenes, and figures were incised or carved upon them. These seals were, of course, used as personal marks or signatures which rolled over the wet clay made the desired impression. They were also to a very large extent used to safeguard possessions and merchandise which one " sealed " in such a manner that nothing could be disturbed without breaking the seal. Still another class of seals bore invocations or prayers, or else a statement of office. Clearly such artifacts occurring as they do at different culture levels throughout a period of three thousand years are a valuable source of information not only with regard to the artistic motives and the competence and techniques of their makers, but also and more importantly, they throw considerable light upon the religion and social life of the various periods with wlhich they are associated. Indeed, Professor FRANiKORT's book is subtitled " A documentary essay on the art and religion of the Near East." It may at once be said that ProfessorFFRaNuoRT's book constitutes the most exhaustive as well as the most authoritative treatment of Cylinder Seals which has thus far made its appearance. Hitherto the classification of these seals has been in a somewhat chaotic condition, and now into this chaos Professor FRANFORT has boldly stepped and put it into order. All future workers in this field can but follow along the path hewn out by the author of the present magnificent work. The numerous illustrations of the impressions of these seals are extremely well reproduced and form a valuable corpus in which students in a varetv of fields will find much to excite and stimulate them. Professor FRANEFORT has traced the development of the cylinder seal from the earliest times right up to its ulimate stages, and in a final chapter he summarizes the effects of this art form upon early Greek and European art. There is a good index. A most admirable and important volume.

M. F. ASHLEY MONTAGU.

James Westfall Thompson.-The tedieval libray. viii+682 P. University of Chicago Press, 1939 ($5.oo).

This impressive volume by the veteran mediaevalist, Prof. J. W. THOMPSON, to whom a Festschnft was recently dedicated (Chicago, 1938; Isis 29, I42), was begun by him many years ago when he was connected with the University of Chicago, and has now been happily completed by him in Berkeley, California, with the assistance of many colleagues. Out of twenty-one chapters, eleven were written by himself and he also provided various introductions. The Libraries of the British Isles in the Anglo-Saxon period were dealt with by RAMONA BRESSIE; S. K. PADOVER contributed four chapters on Bvzantine, Jewish and Muslim libraries and on German libraries of the late Middle Ages; to the late

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