The first regional and chronological categorisation of the cylinder seals used in Syria and North Mesopotamia from about 1800 - 1730 BC. The methodology is new, based firstly on dated seals, some of them only recently excavated, and secondly on the political structure and historical processes of an age which witnessed a new beginning and high point in the history of the region.

The result is the identification of regional groupings of seals which coincide approximately with the regional states developing at that time. In each centre the development can be observed of an official iconography for the seals of the ruling elite at court.

The groupings of seals provide evidence of immanent developments, foreign influences and mutual relationships. By localising particular topic groups and motifs, it is possible to identify gods and other figures.