The Great Aksumite Decorated Stelae
Architectural Characteristics, Functions, and Meanings
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6018809 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Andrea Manzo (0000-0001-8422-5589, University of Naples - L'Orientale, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 23 |
| Publication date | 2021-04-20 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Aethiopica (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1430-1938 • E-ISSN: 2194-4024 |
| Publisher | Staats- und Universitatsbibliothek Hamburg Carl von Ossietzky (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.15460/aethiopica.23.0.1475 |
| OpenAlex | W3154361031 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 3 |
The article presents a review of the architectural and iconographic features of the big decorated Aksumite stelae in the May Ḥǝǧǧa stelae field at Aksum. Their location in the urban setting of ancient Aksum is scrutinized alongside their ceremonial and ideological function. The origin and meaning of the different features and decorative patterns characterizing the stelae are focused upon. It is suggested that these attributes may reflect ideological traits regarded as crucial by the Askumite kings and the elite in the first centuries CE. Moreover, it is demonstrated how some of these features are rooted in the local traditions, while others are related to the intense interactions the ancient Aksum had with neighbouring regions, such as the Mediterranean area and South Arabia. In particular, a new interpretation is proposed for the very distinctive outline of the top of the monuments: it may have been shaped after a specific type of shield also occurring in Meroitic and Post-Meroitic Nubia. Finally, it is suggested that the role these monuments may have played in ceremonies aimed at shaping the Aksumite identity
Aesthetics · Ancient history · Archaeology · Art · Elite · Epistemology · Graffiti · Ideology · Linguistics · Political science · Politics · Visual arts · Ancient Egypt and Archaeology · Ancient Near East History · Archaeology and Historical Studies · History · Law · Philosophy
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |