Cylinder seals, which were produced more or less continuously for about 3000 years in Western Asia, were worked with designs in intaglio. In this paper we report the results of an investigation into the techniques used to engrave seals composed of quartz. Our observations were made with a binocular microscope and supplemented by examination of impressions with a scanning electron microscope. A range of factors was considered, including shape in plan, topography, surface texture and orientation of features. In this way four basic techniques of engraving have been recognized. They have been tentatively interpreted as micro‐chipping, filing, wheel‐cutting and drill