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 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.
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.
While the researchers stop short of declaring the THS.1 seal an incidence of writing, they do highlight its potential role in the evolution of Aegean literacy. The careful layout, repeated forms, and prominent placement of the THS.1 impression mark the vessel deliberately. All this suggests intentional design meant to be visible and legible. This is a precursor behavior to what would later become formalized writing.
In fact, the use of multi-faceted seals (with more than a single engraved face) was unusual at the time. This further indicates that the person who applied THS.1 aimed to communicate something more nuanced than a mere ownership mark.
The dominant narrative in Aegean archaeology has long held that writing first emerged on Crete around 2000 BC and that the Cyclades had no script. This gave rise to the complex palace-based bureaucracies of the Minoans and Mycenaeans. However, if seal THS.1 indeed encodes structured, communicative content—albeit in a primitive form—then the intellectual seeds of writing may have been sown in the Cyclades centuries earlier.
In light of this, the Cycladic islands would no longer be seen as peripheral to the emergence of literacy in the Aegean. Instead we would view them as a primary innovator. This would align with other archaeological markers indicating that the Cyclades were a dynamic and interconnected maritime culture. It was a culture capable of innovation and influence across the region.
The research team behind the Therasia find is, however, cautious in their conclusions. They stop short of labeling the seals as a script. Yet they argue that these impressions represent a key developmental stage. “They form part of the cognitive and practical processes that led to the invention of writing,” it was stated. If future excavations yield additional samples of similar seal use across Cycladic sites, this theory could solidify into a new paradigm and reposition the cradle of Aegean writing from Crete to the Cyclades.
The Therasia seals may not represent a full writing system. However, they do provide us with valuable insight into the symbolic experimentation occurring in the Aegean over four millennia ago. As explained by the researchers, “Although the evidence from Koimisi does not support the existence of a formal script, it highlights the processes that led to the emergence of writing—particularly the use of seals as one of the earliest media for encoded symbolic transmission in the Aegean.”
Future discoveries could further clarify whether these impressions represent localized symbolic practices or are part of a broader trajectory. If archaeologists unearth additional seals such as these, they could directly link them to the development of writing systems like Linear A and Linear B.
The seals of Therasia may turn out to be a vital missing link in the story of how humans in the Aegean first began recording meaning, asserting identity, and sharing information through organized symbols. As research continues, this small volcanic island could become a key reference point and rewrite the history of writing itself in the ancient world.
