Which ancient civilization first used formal brand markings on products as a strategy to indicate workshop origin and ensure quality standards?

Before modern retail, ancient civilizations had sophisticated commercial systems with their own branding challenges and strategies. Merchants developed unique identities, quality marks, and marketing approaches that would be recognizable to today's brand strategists. This trivia explores how ancient civilizations approached what we now call 'brand strategy' in their commercial activities, revealing the surprising sophistication of ancient marketplace dynamics.

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Ancient Rome, with stamped pottery markings (called 'sigillum') identifying prestigious workshops
Mesopotamia, with cylinder seals pressed into clay tablets to authenticate merchant identity
Ancient China, with imperial stamps guaranteeing quality of silk and porcelain exports
Ancient Greece, with potter's marks (signatures) on ceramic vessels to distinguish premium craftsmanship