Describe, with examples, the ways in which the study of private stelae is

important for our understanding of ancient Egypt.

ALGY 116 – Ancient Egyptian Art and Artefacts

University of Liverpool

20.04.2012 Marek Macko

1. Index

Index............................................................................................................................................................2Introduction.................................................................................................................................................3Functions of steles.......................................................................................................................................4Conclusion...................................................................................................................................................7Used Literature............................................................................................................................................8

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2. Introduction

Stelae. The latin word stela (pl. stelae) derives from the Greek stele, which means pillar or vertical

tablet. (In English, the usual forms are “stele”/”steles”)1

In Ancient Egypt steles are common artifacts found all around Egypt and had various functions based

on where they were placed and on depiction and writing on it. A first stele dates back to 1 st dynasty

where they occurred for the first time. Commonly steles are made of single piece of stone or rarely a

wood. Shape of steles changed over time from Old Kingdom steles with rounded top to rectangular

shaped steles which later evolved into false door that are commonly used in tombs and depicts

deceased sitting behind the table. In First Intermediate Period George A. Reisner divided steles from

this time period into two styles.

1. Almost square stone slabs decorated with a scene that shows the tomb owner in front of an

offering table, this type resembles the slab stelae and false-door tablets of the Old Kingdom

2. Vertical rectangular slabs with rounded tops that depict the standing tomb owner. During

the eleventh and twelfth dynasty the so-called classical stela of the middle Kingdom evolved

from this type2

During Middle Kingdom steles had rectangular shape with rounded top which represented the sky.

Also common shapes were rectangular with torus roll and cavetto cornice which were derived from

false door. In new Kingdom steles style remained pretty much the same as in Middle Kingdom. Only

few minor innovations occurred such as triangle in top part to represent pyramid. Second change

was adding kneeling statue behind stele which is “holding” stele in vertical position. This

composition is called stelophorous statue. For the first time finally in New Kingdom we can see

painted wooden stele which occurred more frequently from Third Intermediate Period onwards.

Shape of these wooden steles is common rectangular with rounded top, but it seems that rounded

top is given flatter curve as if it was easier to achieve.

1 Hölzl, R. (2001) ‘Stelae’ in D. Redford (ed.) The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt III, Oxford,3192 Hölzl, R. (2001) ‘Stelae’ in D. Redford (ed.) The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt III, Oxford,320

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Since steles are very common artifacts, they are very good tool for archaeologist to understand

more about peoples believes and lives. Private steles are thus very good source of information

about various activities from lives of ordinary man and woman.

3. Functions of steles

Steles had more than just one function. We can compare some of those functions to today wall signs or guide sign since some of steles were used as border stones to divide portions to fields. These steles contained name of field owner, size of field and from whom he has it. Good example of these border steles are Boundary Stelae of Akhenaten which were erected around the city of Amarna. I don’t consider these to be exactly private stele but they work as very good example of how steles help us understand Ancient Egypt. Those fifteen steles were erected around the city and described why city of Amarna was build and how they will honor Aten. Also projected layout of the city. These steles are great source of information both about religion and politics.

Stela S at the beginning of the 20th century AD, after Davies 1908, Pl. XXXIX

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Lots of private steles were used in everyday life, not in tombs as most of steles. They were placed out in the open in temples or in small chapels and prayed to. Compared to today it worked similarly as Christian cross. Main difference from Christian crosses is that steles were personalized and depiction on them showed owner of stele combined with text saying his name and some spell for example.

Deir-El-Medina tomb worker

As example we can use stele from site of worker city Deir-El-Medina. This kind of steles represented single bond between depicted individual and god also depicted here. In this particular depiction we see worker in bottom left corner with raised hands towards god in top part of stele. On right side we see three pairs of ears. These don’t belong to owner of the stele but to god himself and represents awareness of god that individual is praying to him or giving him an offering. Basically it means that god is listening to him.

Based on steles like this we gain valuable information about personal relationship between individuals and their gods. Since those steles were placed in temples or chapels we can understand their “daily” habits when it comes to paying. It is obvious that for Ancient Egyptians it was crucial to be in good favor with their gods. We have many more similar steles with depiction like this.

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IY with his family

Especially one stele found in city of Abydos depicting man named IY together with his family. As in last case of stele from Deir-El-Medina this stele wasn’t funerary but was used to associate IY and his family with Osiris so that they might participate in afterlife processions but also express his affiliation to Osiris as loyal servant. As we know partially thanks to information that was gained through sources like this we know that Abydos was center place for cult of Osiris. Of course we know this also thank to inscriptions on temples and other sources but this for sure helped in our search for answers.

Sobek-khu

This last stele I would like to talk about is also from Abydos and was found in 1901 by J. Garstang. Stele by itself is of poor quality but as in many other cases inscription and depiction are important and that is what we are after. Stele belongs to Sobek-khu also named Djaa. He was high ranking official in twelfth dynasty. Thanks to his effort to stay remembered even after his death we gain valuable knowledge. Upon first look his stele look pretty much ordinary in top register we see him, depicted together with his family presumably his wife and children. He is sitting behind the table which is filled with food, as we would expect from funerary stele even thou he is not buried at the place of stele from which we can assume that it was placed at the temple in Abydos during his life or close to his death. Remaining space of stele what is about two thirds of whole surface is covered in inscription talking about his achievements in life and as soldier. Thanks to this written record we learned about early war conflict between Egypt and their northern enemies.

A royal offering of Osiris, lord of Abydos, (giving) an invocation offering of bread and beer, foreleg (of an ox) and fowl, linen and clothing, incense and oil, every good and pure thing, for the ka of the member of the elite, high official, who has said good things, repeated /proclaimed what was desired during the course of every day, great district official of the town Khu-Sobek whose good name is Djaa, begotten of Ita (mother) of the district of Tefnut, possessor of honor.3

This is beginning of text inscribed on stele and I consider it being crucial when it comes to understanding of people and whole system in Ancient Egypt. From so short text we can learn much about one person and also about whole nation.

3 http://egypt-grammar.rutgers.edu/Miscellany/khu_sobek.pdf

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4. Conclusion

In my opinion it is hard to say why exactly study of private steles is important to us since every piece of evidence we can lay our hands on is vital in our further understanding of Ancient Egypt. But if I summarize what I wrote about and what I read about, I would say that it is important piece of evidence from which we can gain lots of information about religion and even historical events as in case of Sobek-khu stele where he talk about war plus his personal achievements. Written text records such as stele are big contribution to our global understanding of mainly religious believes.

Stele of Sobek-Khu

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5. Used Literature

http://egypt-grammar.rutgers.edu/Miscellany/khu_sobek.pdf

Hölzl, R. (2001) ‘Stelae’ in D. Redford (ed.) The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt III, Oxford,

319-324

Lutz, H.F. (1927) Egyptian Tomb Steles and Offering Stones Leipzig

Pflüger, K. (1947) ‘The Private Funerary Stelae of the Middle Kingdom’ JAOS 67, 127-135

Sara E. Orel (1995) ‘Two Unpublished Stelae from Beni Hasan’ JoEA 81, 216-220

Danijela Stefanovic (2010) ‘Four Middle Kingdom stelaefrom the National Archaeological Museum, Athens’ JoEA 96, 207-215

http://www.amarnaproject.com/pages/amarna_the_place/boundary_stelae/index.shtml

http://www.boltonmuseums.org.uk/collections/egyptology/

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