Adaptation of the Winged Disk in the Old Syrian Glyptic: A Study of Cultural Interaction in the Eastern Mediterranean

The winged disk first appears in Egypt, as a royal icon around the notion of divine kingship. It then appears in Syria during the Middle Bronze Age period, on a group of cylinder seals and seal impressions belonging to a royal environment, probably as an effect of the Egyptian influence. Starting with a study of the winged disk in Egyptian art, the paper analyzes the iconography and the occurrence of the winged disk in the Old Syrian glyptic, with the purpose of identifying its symbolic meaning in the Old Syrian culture. The winged disk symbol will be at first analyzed individually; afterwards, the relationships between the winged disk and the other symbolic elements present in the scene will be highlighted, with the aim of identify its meanings and evolution in the Old Syrian art together with its relationship with the Egyptian prototypes.