Ancient Authentication and Integrity Checking

Funny I just read about this topic today on some random tangent. I learned that one of our most advanced methods for tamper-proofing involves red lentils, beluga lentils, and a blink test. https://dys2p.com/en/2021-12-tamper-evident-protection.html

These are not so ancient, I was expecting to learn more about twigs broken in half, and maybe knots on strings!

Kind of shocking this doesn't include letter locking.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letterlocking

It describes exactly one technique, wax seals. It's just blogspam.

Doesn't mention tuhgras, indenting, etc. Sad blog post.

Very light article, focused too much on relatively "modern" uses of paper ("references as early as the Pharaohs in ancient Egypt", not so old).

Pre-paper/papyrus solutions, such as the bulla ([1]) are entirely omitted. tl;dr? Shipping goods down the Nile, want to ensure that the recipient knows what you shipped, and that the crew didn't help themselves? Place tokens representing the goods in a clay ball, impress your seal upon it and fire it, and include it with the shipment. Imperfect, but clever nevertheless.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulla_(seal)