Sigillography

Hello there! Sigillography is a fancy word for the study of seals and stamps that people used to put on important documents a long time ago.

Think of it like a sticker or a stamp you might use to mark a letter or a card, but much more special and important. Back then, people would use wax, clay or metal to make a seal or stamp which would then be pressed onto the document, leaving an imprint or a design.

These seals were used to show that the document was authentic and had not been tampered with. It was a way to keep important papers safe and to make sure that the person who sent it was the real person and not an imposter.

Sigillographers are people who study these seals and stamps. They look at the design, the material used, the time period it was made in, and the meaning behind it. This helps them to understand more about the people who used them and what was important to them at the time.

So, sigillography is all about learning from the seals and stamps people used to use and it's a way of discovering more about history. Pretty cool, huh?