Which ancient civilization first used standardized maker's marks on products as a form of brand positioning, allowing consumers to identify the workshop, region, and quality level of goods?

Before modern marketing existed, ancient civilizations had their own sophisticated ways of distinguishing products in marketplaces. From specialized pottery marks to royal seals, the concept of product differentiation has ancient roots. This trivia question explores how one civilization pioneered what we might recognize today as the first formal 'brand positioning' strategy, creating consistent product identities that conveyed quality, origin, and status to ancient consumers.

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Ancient Romans, who stamped pottery and bricks with maker's marks (figulinae) to indicate workshop origin and track tax payments
Ancient Egyptians, who used hieroglyphic seals on pottery to denote royal workshop production for the pharaoh's household
Ancient Chinese, who marked silk products with imperial seals to indicate which regional workshop produced them for the emperor
Ancient Mesopotamians, who impressed cylinder seals on clay containers to authenticate the contents and identify the merchant