A stela is an upright monument containing information in the form of texts, images or a combination of the two. Stelae have been used to commemorate people or events, to delineate physical spaces or as objects through which to access the dead or divine. Such monuments were made by a variety of cultures in the ancient world, including the Assyrians, Maya, Greeks and Romans. The most common Egyptian term for a stela is wedj , which originally meant "command" and stems from wedj - nesu , "royal decree.
Later examples were either freestanding, set into the walls of architectural features or carved into rock outcrops. They are usually round-topped or rectangular in shape, made either from stone or painted wood, and range in size from only a few centimeters to more than 25 feet high. Many have dedicated images, epithets or figural scenes set apart from the text, such as in the curved upper portion of a round-topped stela.
This area, called the lunette, was first delineated from the rest of the stela during the reign of Pepi I, and from the reign of Senwosret III, its contents began to be divided vertically into axisymmetric halves.
The upper portions of stelae often contain images that speak to the divine support and protection of their contents, such as representations of the sky, the winged sun disk, shen -rings and wedjat -eyes. Stelae were commissioned by both royal and non-royal patrons and fulfilled a number of functions in Egyptian society. Such stelae often depict the tomb owner with or without their family before an offering table or heap of goods, imploring living visitors to donate to the cause or to give a "voice offering" in lieu of physical food and drink.
False-door stelae, which appeared at the start of the Old Kingdom, served as an entryway into the tomb chapel through which the deceased could access the bread, beer and other goods that had been left to sustain them.
Good evidence from the Middle Kingdom onward supports the existence of workshops to produce private stelae. Stelae also served as stand-ins for those who wanted to be "present" at Abydos - the mythical burial place of Osiris - but whose tombs were located elsewhere.
One famous example of this type is that of the 12th-dynasty treasurer, Ikhernofret, describing the so-called mysteries of Osiris. This concept causes the strong Aksum sunlight to enhance the apparent relief of the carved surfaces.
Excavations have revealed that major tombs survived on either side of Stela One. The Stela of Aksum or Stela Two is approximately 24 m high and weighs tonnes. Not only did the Italians take ownership over the second largest stela in Aksum, they also seized a statue of the Lion of Judah an important Ethiopian symbol , a number of royal and ecclesiastical crowns, the state archives, and paintings.
Like the Great Stela, the Stela of Aksum lay broken in several pieces when the Italians transferred it to Massawa, then Naples, and finally, Rome in In , the Italian government signed a peace treaty to return all treasures to Ethiopia. It was only in that the stela was dismantled in Rome, and shipped by plane in three pieces to Aksum.
Stela Three was manufactured and placed in honour of King Ezana fourth century. It is the only large stela that was never relocated nor ever fell down, and is presumably the last obelisk erected in Aksum. As the religious preference of the elite shifted towards Christianity, new practices were introduced, leading to the end of the use of stelae as burial markers.
It is clear that the grave memorial does not stand absolutely vertical. Its leaning position, however, is exaggerated by the slope of the ground on which the stela stands and by the displacement of the front baseplate. The pictures on the right show in detail how the stela is prevented from possibly falling down. Go to: Capital of a Kingdom. Go to: Ge'ez Stela. Aksumite Stelae: true treasures of human craftsmanship The organizational and technological skills of the Aksumites were represented by the construction of stelae singular: stela.
Central Stele Park The Great Stela, the Stela of Aksum, and Ezana's Stela have received great attention due to their height, weight, carvings, and significant historical value. The Great Stela. The Great Stela partially rests on the Nefas Mawcha left. The Stela of Aksum. Ezana's Stela.
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