====Diachronic overview of the use of seals in the ANE====

| Uruk IV | tablets regularly sealed (one or more seals) | seal impressed prior to inscription | |
| Uruk III | tablets only occasionally sealed | seal impressed prior to inscription | |
| Early Dynastic I-II | no sealed tablets | |
| Early Dynastic IIIa | no sealed tablets | |
| Early Dynastic IIIb | no sealed tablets | |
| Old Akkadian | tablets occasionally sealed | seal impressed following inscription | [[http://cdli.ucla.edu/S002226|example of Old Akkadian sealed tablet]] |
| Lagash II | no sealed tablets | |
| Ur III | tablets regularly sealed (mostly one seal) | seal impressed following inscription |
| Early Old Babylonian | tablets regularly sealed (mostly one seal) | seal impressed following inscription |
| Old Babylonian | tablets regularly sealed (one or more seals) | seal impressed following inscription | 
| Old Assyrian | tablets regularly sealed (one or more seals) | seal impressed following inscription |