Academic literature on the topic 'Funeral Stele'

The paper publishes a) a new stele which bears a relief representing a gladiator in a shallow rectangular panel, twelve engraved crowns in the left and down sides, and an engraved palm branch b) a funeral inscription found in a grave at Amphipolis, whose gladiatorial nature is evident from stereotypic formulae.

The article is devoted to an analysis of the funeral rite from the mound near the village of Vasyne in Kirovohrad region. The site is located on the border of the Dnipro right-bank forest-steppe and steppe. The main Scythian burial was deposited in a wooden chamber on the ancient ground surface. A complex wooden burial structure of oak timbers constructed over it was partially burnt, but was well preserved. The remains of artefacts found in the burial site, including fragments of ancient amphoras, among them plump-throated Chios, thin-walled antique black-figured kylix, fragments of ceramic vessels, and animal bones. Undoubtedly, the most interesting find was a stone anthropomorphic stele of grey granite. The complex dates to the first quarter of the 5th century BC.

The article presents the results of a study from the excavation of the barrow of middle Scythian time in Vasyne (Znamensky district, Kirovograd region). Barrow was located in the upper reaches of the river Beshka, the right tributary of the Ingulets in its upstream. The main Scythian burial was committed on the surface of the ancient horizon. A complex wooden burial structure constructed of oak was partially burnt, but well preserved. In the center of the entire burial facility was a ground-based square ten-column wooden tomb (5.5 Ч 5.5 m) with a flat ceiling, around which a «pyramid» was built of horizontal layers of raw tree trunks, logs and logs, preserved to a height of 0.9—1,4 m. «Pyramid» at the level of the ancient horizon was surrounded by thin (5—7 cm) wooden flooring. The overall diameter of the wooden structure reached 19 m. The southern sector of the «pyramid» was covered with a layer of clay. The nature of the firing of the wooden masonry, the good preservation of the wood, some structural details of the «pyramid» itself, the presence of a clay pavement with products indicate the use of burning technology without access to air. The mound enclosed the annular ditch with two bridges in the western and eastern sectors. The burial was accompanied by numerous remnants of the treasure in the form of fragments of ancient amphoras, including plump-throated Chios, thin-walled antique black-figureed kilik, fragments of stucco vessels, and animal bones. In the filling of the tomb, remains of funeral gifts that fell after the destruction of the floor were found: fragments of wooden trays or stretchers, fastened with iron and bronze brackets with sacrificial food; the ruined bones of the horse, next to which was found a handful of mummified millet grains. The burial itself was completely robbed. The skeleton of the buried and funeral inventory were absent. At the bottom of the tomb, only the skeleton of a servant with a bone piercing and a bronze tip of a basic type arrow lost by robbers were found. Undoubtedly, the most interesting find was a stone anthropomorphic stele of gray granite, 2.65 m high, which depicts a standing warrior with a set of weapons, a rhyton and two hryvnia. According to the totality of finds in the mound and images on the stele, it is possible to attribute the time of its construction to the turn of the 6th—5th centuries. BC. The scale of the wooden burial structure, the ditch around the mound, the find of a granite stele, the remains of a treyne and sacrifices indicate that a representative of the Scythian military aristocracy was buried here.

In 2021, as a part of rescue archaeological work in the Askiz district of the Republic of Khakassia a unique burial complex was studied. Kurgan No. 5 at the Uytag-3 burial ground was a cultural-chronological palimpsest. A mound of the Afanasyevo culture with two graves was located at the base of the site. Its territory was used by the Tagar people for the construction of their mound. A powerful fence with corner and paving stones, an earthen platform made of blocks of loam with sod, 4 burial vaults covered with larch logs, and passages were erected. During the Tesinsky stage, another burial vault with a dromos was built at the central part of the embankment. All the tombs functioned for a long time for the burial of new deceased. Despite the disturbance (and partial robbery) of the complexes in antiquity, many details of the funeral rituals characteristic of several chronological stages of the Tagar culture, from the Saragashenskiy (IV—III centuries BC) to the Tesinsky stage (II-I centuries BC), remained intact. Field research yielded abundant assemblage of burial goods including bronze daggers, battle hammer-axes, awls, mirrors; bronze and iron knives and belt plates with pendants; costume decorations in the form of hemispherical bronze plaques, beads, perforated clothing decorations and deer plaques. A variety of ceramics was found in each grave: from large jars to small vessels-incense burners. An interesting ceramic complex was also excavated from the Afanasyevo burials. The unique clay-plaster funerary masks portraying the deceased were cleaned up and secured at the Tesinsky vault. Almost all of the masks displayed Caucasian features. Samples of wood from burial structures were taken for analysis, and the anthropological collection was replenished. It is worth noting the Okunevo stele with a face carved on its side edge used in the fence of the Tagar mound.

The article considers thirteen memorial gravestone stele-churts as epigraphic sources of Chechnya. The author's task is to introduce these sources into scientific circulation with the subsequent introduction of the revealed information into secondary historical research. The list of works devoted to epigraphic monuments of the Chechen Republic is considered; the weakness of the existing base on the topic under study and the need for a wider study of the surviving objects and their epitaphs are noted. The evolution of the burial culture is briefly noted, which is also expressed by the change of accompanying the deceased with objects of weapons, worship and everyday life to their display on the funeral tombstone. The role of cruciform tombstone in early Muslim single burials is noted according to those monuments that have survived to the 20–21th centuries. Translations of the epitaphs of the considered tombstone are introduced into scientific circulation for the first time. The results of the work show that Chechen churts (tombstones) are often used not only to depict texts of epitaphs dedicated to the buried, but also to reflect their genealogical tree, social status and memorable events. At this stage of the study, we can only talk about preliminary conclusions, which, however, allow us to conditionally divide the Chechen stelae-churts (in terms of functionality) into tombstones, border, memorial and cult ones. The review also reflects the need for a careful attitude to the cruciform tombstone of Chechnya, which do not always (and not necessarily) indicate the religious affiliation of the buried, although they may reflect the likely continuity and transitional "dual faith" during the period of Islamization of the region.

The preliminary results of rescue excavations of the kurgan 1 at the Skalnaya-4 kurgan burial ground in the Khakass-Minusinsk basin (Askizskiy district, Republic of Khakassia) is published. The kurgan is located on the western slope of the Uytag Mountain and is a part of a larger kurgan field of the Tagar culture. The kurgan and the surrounding area as expressed in relief are described in our archaeological excavation report. Data on the design of the burial construction as well as on the number and composition of the graves are presented. The kurgan belongs to the Podgornovo stage of the Tagar culture. Inside the “four-stone” fence, two graves were built, one in the center and more recent one to the north. Each grave with one disturbed skeleton inside had a stone cover. The graves also contained ceramic vessels and funeral food. During the Tesinskaya stage two intrusive burials were made in the kurgan area. One of them, with two graves, both in stone vaults with a sandstone slab ceilings, were constructed near the south-eastern corner stele. The burial goods include ceramic vessels, an iron knife, stone and paste beads and a sharpening stone in a case with a bronze pommel. The second grave (about 1 m deep narrow pit) was dug near the eastern wall of the fence. Scattered bones of an incomplete human skeleton were interred in it and a skull without a lower jaw was placed in a separate niche. In addition to the burial structures, several pits and stones dating back to the period of the kurgan construction were discovered in the surrounding territory. The obtained materials noticeably compliment already abundant sources to study the agenda of the South Minusinsk Basin history in the 7th Century BC - 3rd Century AD.

Considering contemporary studies on attitudes towards death and the dead, we will consider, given the documentary, thematic and historical relevance, some epitaphs for females present in the region of Mediolanum, the modern city of Milan. We know that, although we do not have remains of necropolises, as in Isola Sacra, the mortuary evidences present at Civico Museo Archeologico di Milano exhibit a wide range of stone stelae, lastras of funeral monuments with stone garlands, marble funeral altars and urns, highlighting the richness of a region known, at the time of 49 BC, as municipium ciuium romanorum. In this respect, it becomes relevant to analyze, for example, a gorgeous stela, dated between the last years of the second century AD, as a rare testimony of a woman who, undoubtedly, with a strong personality, commissions the funeral monument to her relatives. Thenceforth, we understand that the epitaphs immortalized the deceased as well as stimulated the pietas of their relatives. Thus, in referring to the sepulchral epigraphy, we emphasize the connections and symbology between written and spoken words, for, thus conceived, ritual repetition evoked the memory of the deceased.

The purpose of this article is to define the titles, functions and formulas that were used in Algeria during the Ottoman period, based on the texts written on the funeral steles, these represent a register gathering an indefinite number of titles of sovereigns, administrators, military, merchants, religious, whose historical sources do not mention them, so we will be able to complete the register of the names of all persons who have played an important role in the administration of the Algerian state. The study of the titles, functions and religious formulas inscribed on the funeral steles allows us to give a true image of the Algerian state during the Ottoman period and its legal, military, religious and civil governmental apparatus. Almost all of these funeral steles are preserved in Algerian museums such as: the National Public Museum of Antiquities of Algiers and the National Public Museum of Tlemcen, however, some of them are kept in private cemeteries in the cities of Algiers and Constantine.

Horseshoe arches samples in funerary steles from north-western Hispania are usually identified as simple geometric decorative motifs. This opinion has also been associated with what is represented in the stele of Valens (León, NW Spain), despite the fact that the artistic quality of the bas-relief allows to link it better with an architectural element. Likewise, it is very remarkable the practical absence of references in specialized historiography to another significant sample of horseshoe arch, despite being part of one of the most important classical monuments: the Pantheon of Rome. Located on the inside face of the door, the prominence of this majestic arch in the construction design of the Pantheon explains the symbolic meaning of what is represented in the stele of Valens.

Thesis (DPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2004.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation examines illustrated funerary papyri and wooden funerary stelae for information they can provide about the organization of artists in the 21st and 22nd Dynasty. It is an inquiry into the relationship between visual representation on the funerary papyri of the 21st Dynasty and wooden stelae of the 22nd Dynasty. An attempt is made to determine whether it is possible to identify the work of individual artists and workshops involved in producing the illustrated funerary papyri and wooden stelae, and in what way they may be related. This study covers a representative sample of workshops or individuals from around the beginning of the 21st Dynasty to the early 22nd Dynasty. Methodology involved undertaking the research on a descriptive and interpretative/comparative level. Panofsky's (1972: passim) model for describing pictorial works was used to interpret the iconography. The comparisons between the papyri and stelae were based upon a combination of the models developed by Freed (1996: passim) and Niwinski (1989a: passim). These models functioned as a control or corrective in order to formulate an interpretation. It was possible to definitively place 208 manuscripts out of 214 papyri into seven individual workshops. This was based upon their stylistic similarities and corresponding content. Papyri Workshop 1 is comprised of fifty-six manuscripts, and constitutes the largest group. The highest quality manuscripts were produced in this workshop, which was patronized by the high priests of Amun and their families. Papyri Workshop 2 is the smallest group consisting of only seven manuscripts. These two workshops contain the earliest manuscripts, which were generally executed in the Ramesside tradition. Papyri Workshop 3 contains the second largest grouping with fifty-two, and Papyri Workshop 4 consists of eleven. The majority of the members of this workshop belong to a homogenous, almost analogous group, in terms of content and composition. In the twenty-five manuscripts that belong to Papyri Workshop 5, it can be observed that the artists have taken complete liberties with the mass of iconography at their disposal. They have adapted and transformed the existing symbols into new compositions, so that no two manuscripts are alike. Papyri Workshop 6 is comprised of thirty manuscripts, and Papyri Workshop 7 has twenty. As opposed to Workshop 5, these two workshops display an economy of style and execution. They are also generally outlined in black. Furthermore, several subgroups are evident in the workshops, especially those that span many decades, such as Papyri Workshop 1 and 3.From a comprehensive examination of 103 stelae, it was possible to group 100 stelae into nine workshops. It is important to note that Stelae Workshop 1 is, in fact, linked to Papyri Workshop 1, to which thirteen stelae can be attributed. The stelae contain the same attributes and style of execution as the papyri. Stelae Workshop 2 consists of fifteen stelae, these are skilfully executed, and appear to be custom-made for the deceased. Workshop 3 comprises of fourteen stelae. Stelae Workshop 4 contains five, and Workshop 5 has nine. In contrast to Stelae Workshop 1, the principal representations within the stelae from Stelae Workshops 2 to 5 are generally standardized in form and format. Stelae Workshop 6 has six, while 7 and 8 are the two largest workshops with sixteen members each. These three workshops represent a general degradation of proficiency, culminating in a provincial folk-art quality of Stelae Workshop 7 and 8. Stelae Workshop 8 represents the final transition in style and format to the stelae of the Late Period. Stelae Workshop 9 is comprised of five stelae. The style of execution corresponds to the first phase of the Late Period stelae style. It is possible to observe the hand/s of individual artists or a master and student in the study selection, even within one workshop.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis ondersoek ge"illustreerde begrafnispapiri en hout stelae met die oog op die inligting wat hulle oor die kunstenaarsorganisasie in die 21ste en 22ste dinastie kan verskaf. Die navorsing ondersoek die verband tussen visuele afbeeldings op die begrafnispapiri van die 21ste dinastie en hout stelae van die 22ste dinastie. Daar word gepoog om vas te stel of dit moontlik is om die werk van individuele kunstenaars en "werkswinkels" wat by die totstandkoming van die ge'illustreerde begrafnispapiri en hout stelae betrokke was, asook die wyse waarop hulle moontlik verwant is, te identifiseer. Die navorsing dek 'n verteenwoordigende korpus van die werkswinkels of individue uit die tydperk van die begin van die 21ste dinastie tot die vroee 22ste dinastie. Die metodologie het navorsing op 'n deskriptiewe en interpretatiewe! vergelykende vlak behels. Panofsky (1972: passim) se model vir die beskrywing van kunswerke is gebruik om die ikonografie te interpreteer. Die vergelykings tussen die papiri en die stelae is gebaseer op 'n kombinasie van die modelle wat deur Freed (1996: passim) en Niwinski (1989a: passim) ontwikkel is. Hierdie modelle het as 'n kontrole of korrektief gedien vir die formulering van 'n interpretasie. Dit was moontlik om 208 manuskripte uit 214 papiri met sekerheid in sewe individuele "werkswinkels" in te dee!. Die indeling is gebaseer op die stilistiese ooreenkomste en ooreenstemming in die inhoud. Papiruswerkswinkel 1 bestaan uit 56 manuskripte, en maak die grootste groep uit. Die hoogste gehalte manuskripte het in hierdie werkswinkel ontstaan en kan met die hoepriesters van Amun en hulle gesinne verbind word. Werkswinkel 2 is die kleinste groepie en bestaan uit net sewe manuskripte. Hierdie twee werkswinkels bevat die vroegste manuskripte. Papiruswerkswinkel 3 bevat die tweede grootste groepering met 52 manuskripte, en Papiruswerkswinkel 4 bestaan uit 11. Die meerderheid van die manuskripte van hierdie werkswinkel behoort aan 'n homogene, byna analoe groep, wat betref inhoud en samestelling. Uit die 25 manuskripte wat aan Papiriwerkswinkel 5 behoort, is dit duidelik dat die kunstenaars hulle vryhede veroorloof het met die massa ikonografiee tot hulle beskikking. Hulle het die bestaande simbole aangepas en tot nuwe komposisies verander, sod at nie twee manuskripte dieselfde is nie. Papiruswerkswinkel 6 en 7 is saamgestel uit onderskeidelik 30 en 20. In teenstelling met Werkswinkel 5 vertoon hierdie twee werkswinkels 'n "ekonomie" van styl en uitbeelding. Hulle het ook oor die algemeen 'n swart buitelyn. Daarbenewens is dit duidelik dat daar verskeie subgroepein die werkswinkels is, in die besonder die wat oor baie dekades strek, 5005 Papiruswerkswinkels 1 en 3. Uit 'n omvattende ondersoek van 103 stelae was dit moontlik om 100 stelae in nege werkswinkels te groepeer. Dit is belangrik om daarop te let dat Werkswinkel 1 in werklikheid met Papiruswerkswinkel 1, waaraan 13 stelae toegeskryf kan word, verbind kan word. Die stelae vertoon dieselfde kenmerke en styl as die papiri. Werkswinkel 2 bestaan uit 15 stelae wat kunstig gemaak is en wat Iyk asof hulle op bestelling vir die oorledenes vervaardig is. Werkswinkel 3 bestaan uit 14 stelae. Werkswinkel 4 bevat vyf, en in Werkswinkel 5 is daar nege. In teenstelling met Werkswinkel 1 is die belangrikste afbeeldings by die stelae in Werkswinkels 2 tot 5 meestal gestandaardiseer wat betref vorm en formaat. Werkswinkel 6 het ses, terwyl 7 en 8 die twee grootste werkswinkels is met 16 stelae elk. Hierdie drie werkswinkels verteenwoordig 'n algemene degradering van vakmanskap, wat daartoe lei dat die gehalte van Werkswinkels 7 en 8 die is van 'n "provinsiale volkskuns". Werkswinkel 8 verteenwoordig die finale oorgang in styl en formaat na die stelae van die Laattyd. Werkswinkel 9 bestaan uit vyf items. Die sty I stem ooreen met die eerste fase van die styl van die stelae uit die Laattyd. Die studie toon aan dat dit wei moontlik is om die hand(e) van individuele kunstenaars of 'n meester en sy student te onderskei, selfs binne net een werkswinkel.

El presente trabajo concierne las estelas funerarias del Egipto copto y nace de la necesidad que a menudo se observa en el ámbito de los estudios del arte copto, es decir, la organización y la estructuración de un ingente material de proveniencia arqueológica que, siendo casi del todo fuera de contexto, es de difícil encuadramiento cronológico y no más trazable proveniencia. De hecho, las estelas coptas, hacen parte de la gran cantidad de material arqueológico que ha sido penalizado por la moderna investigación arqueológica que, en el caso de Egipto, se había concentrado prevalentemente y/o exclusivamente en los hallazgos de época faraónica, dejando de lado, casi por completo, los testigos de la antigua tradición cristiana. La tradición de las estelas coptas se da, en Egipto, con epitafios en lengua griega y copta. El objeto príncipe de nuestra investigación es el estudio del fenómeno del arte figurativo. En efecto, en muchas estelas, aparecen figuraciones que, en su conjunto, nunca han sido sometidas a una sistemática indagación. Los datos procedentes del estudio de las representaciones, han sido aquí puestos en relación con las epígrafes para una evaluación completa de las piezas y, finalmente, el intento más ambicioso ha sido, el de colocar una producción tan dispersada y fuera de contexto, en un marco cronológico coherente con el fin de clasificar algunas macro áreas de atribución. Los argumentos tratados se desarrollan a lo largo de tres distintos capítulos. El primer capítulo se abre con un párrafo dedicado a la historia de los estudios. El párrafo sucesivo trata de los caracteres generales de la producción: materiales utilizados; marco temporal de atestación; difusión espacial; naturaleza de la documentación; aparato iconográfico, leguas utilizadas y características principales de los epitafios funerarios; peculiaridades de las estelas documentadas en Egipto. Sigue un párrafo de carácter exclusivamente arqueológico. Se examinan aquí pues las estelas funerarias halladas en situ y las estelas utilizadas en contextos secundarios. La primera parte del capítulo se concluye con una descripción de algunas de las principales colecciones de estelas coptas, con una mirada especial a las colecciones italianas. El primer capítulo sigue con el análisis de aquellos conjuntos de estelas que, fechadas antes del siglo IV, pueden ser consideradas como los antecedentes de las estelas coptas: las así dichas estelas de “de los palmireños” de Coptos, de Alejandría, de Therenouthis/Kom Abu Billou, de Oxirinco/Bahnasa, de Antinoe/Sheikh Abada y de Akoris. El capítulo se concluye con un párrafo dedicado a las nuevas concepciones funerarias introducidas por el Cristianismo en Egipto, subrayando, sin embargo, también aquellos factores de continuidad con la tradición que se quedarán visibles también en la producción de las estelas coptas. También en este caso, el análisis procede de la particular atención reservada al estudio de la documentación arqueológica. El segundo capítulo atañe los aspectos propiamente arqueológicos y vuelve a recorrer la historia de las actividades arqueológicas en los diferentes sitios, con relación al hallazgo de las estelas. En orden geográfico, desde el Delta hasta Asuan, se relatan los descubrimientos de las estelas efectuados en los diferentes sitios. En el tercer capítulo se analizan las figuraciones presentes en las estelas. Este es un aspecto totalmente inédito en el panorama de los estudios de la figuración copta, puesto que, nunca hasta ahora, ha sido tratado en detalle con respecto a la entera documentación de las estelas coptas. Aquí, ha sido posible analizar también todas aquellas estelas – numerosísimas -, privas de la indicación geográfica de procedencia (y por esto excluidas del capítulo precedente), caracterizadas, sin embargo, por un rico y abigarrado repertorio iconográfico. Los elementos figurativos han sido aquí divididos en distintos párrafos y agrupados por tipologías: elementos arquitectónicos; figuras humanas; símbolos; pájaros; mamíferos; elementos acuáticos y marinos; elementos vegetales; diferentes objetos. El tercer capítulo, incluye las conclusiones divididas en tres párrafos principales. En el primer párrafo, se interpretan y analizan las estelas dentro del marco histórico. En el segundo párrafo se examinan las estelas sobre la base del análisis integrado de epitafios e imágenes. En el último párrafo se individúan las principales macro-áreas en las que es posible dividir la documentación copta. Estas, se localizan en el Delta, en el Sinai, en el Fayum, en el Medio y el Alto Egipto. De todas, se ponen en evidencia los caracteres principales y se proporcionan hipótesis de motivaciones históricas.
Il presente lavoro concerne le stele funerarie dell’Egitto copto e prende avvio dalla necessità che spesso si osserva nell’ambito degli studi di arte copta di organizzare e strutturare un ingente materiale di provenienza archeologica, che, essendo quasi del tutto decontestualizzato, appare di difficile inquadramento cronologico, nonché di provenienza non più rintracciabile. Le stele copte sono, infatti, tra i materiali archeologici che sono stati penalizzati dai metodi della moderna ricerca archeologica, che in passato si era prevalentemente concentrata sul materiale di epoca faraonica, tralasciando quasi del tutto le testimonianze di epoca copta. La produzione delle stele si realizza in Egitto con epitaffi sia in greco, sia in copto. Oggetto principale di questa ricerca è lo studio del fenomeno figurativo. In molte stele infatti compaiono raffigurazioni che nel loro insieme non sono mai stati sottoposti a indagine sistematica. I dati provenienti dallo studio delle rappresentazioni sono stati posti in rapporto con le epigrafi in modo da effettuare una valutazione completa dei pezzi. Il tentativo più ambizioso è stato infine quello di collocare una produzione così dispersa e decontestualizzata in un quadro cronologico coerente e di disegnare alcune macroaree di attribuzione. Lo sviluppo degli argomenti è organizzato in tre distinti capitoli. Il primo capitolo si apre con un paragrafo dedicato alla storia degli studi. Il paragrafo successivo tratta dei caratteri generali della produzione: materiali utilizzati, arco temporale di attestazione, diffusione spaziale, natura della documentazione, apparato iconografico, lingue utilizzate e caratteristiche principali degli epitaffi funebri, particolarità delle stele documentate in Egitto. Segue un paragrafo incentrato su dati esclusivamente di natura archeologica. Vengono così trattate le stele funerarie ritrovate in situ e le stele riutilizzate in contesti secondari. La prima parte del capitolo si conclude con una descrizione di alcune delle principali raccolte di stele copte, con particolare attenzione alle raccolte italiane. Il primo capitolo prosegue con l’analisi di quegli insiemi di stele che, datate prima del IV secolo, possiamo considerare come gli antecedenti delle stele copte: le stele dette “dei palmireni” di Coptos, di Alessandria, di Therenouthis/Kom Abu Billou, di Ossirinco/Bahnasa, di Antinoe/Sheikh Abada e di Akoris. Il capitolo si chiude con paragrafo dedicato alle nuove concezioni funerarie introdotte dal Cristianesimo in Egitto, sottolineando però anche quei fattori di continuità con la tradizione che rimarranno visibili anche nella produzione delle stele copte. Anche in questo caso l’analisi si basa con particolare attenzione sulla documentazione archeologica. Il secondo capitolo è rivolto agli aspetti più propriamente archeologici e ripercorre la storia delle attività archeologiche nei diversi siti collegata al rinvenimento di stele. In ordine geografico, dal Delta sino a Assuan, sono descritti i ritrovamenti di stele effettuati nei diversi siti. Nel terzo capitolo viene affrontata l’analisi delle raffigurazioni che compaiono sulle stele. Si tratta di una tematica mai affrontata in dettaglio per tutta la documentazione delle stele copte. Si sono potute qui trattare anche tutte quelle stele, numerosissime, prive del tutto di indicazione geografica di provenienza, e per questo escluse nel capitolo precedente, ma caratterizzate da un apparto iconografico ricco e variegato. Gli elementi figurativi sono stati divisi in diversi paragrafi raggruppandoli per tipologie: elementi architettonici, figure umane, simboli, uccelli, mammiferi, elementi acquatici e marini, elementi vegetali, oggetti diversi. Il terzo capitolo racchiude le conclusioni, che sono raccolte in tre paragrafi principali. Nel primo paragrafo si interpretano le stele all’interno del quadro storico. Nel secondo paragrafo si interpretano le stele sulla base dell’analisi integrata degli epitaffi e delle immagini. Nell’ultimo paragrafo si individuano le principali macroaree in cui è possibile dividere la documentazione copta. Queste aree vengono individuate nel Delta, nel Sinai, nel Fayum, nel Medio e nell’Alto Egitto. Di tutte vengono evidenziati i caratteri principali e vengono proposte anche delle motivazioni storiche.
This work concerns Egyptian Coptic funeral stelae and arose from the frequently observed need in the field of Coptic art studies for the huge amount of material to be organised and structured for archaeological provenance. Almost all of it is now found out of context, making it difficult to frame chronologically, as well as it being impossible to trace the provenance. Coptic stelae are, in fact, among the archaeological material which has been penalised by modern archaeological research methods, which, ever since the end of the 19th century, have been mainly concentrated on material from the Pharaonic age, omitting almost all evidence of the Coptic period, considered to be less valuable artistically, and, therefore, also historically. The production of stelae in Egypt involved epitaphs in both Greek and Coptic. The principal objective of this investigation was a study of the figurative phenomena, until now rather neglected. In fact, on many stelae there are images of humans, animals, plants, symbols, architectural motifs and various objects which, taken together, have never been systematically studied. The data coming from the study of the representations have been painstakingly placed in relation to the epigraphy in such a way as to effect a complete valuation of the pieces. Finally, the most ambitious attempt has been that of bringing together such a dispersed and decontextualized production into a coherent chronological framework and outlining some macro-areas of attribution. The development of the arguments in this study has been organised into three distinct chapters, structured by paragraph. The first chapter opens with a paragraph dedicated to the history of these studies. The following paragraph deals with the general characteristics of production: materials used, time arc for attestation, spatial diffusion, nature of the documentation, iconographic apparatus, languages used and principal characteristics of the funerary epitaphs, particularity of stelae documented in Egypt. There follows a paragraph centred upon data of a purely archaeological nature. In this way, funerary stelae are dealt with by reference to their burial context, that is seen as an element of the funerary apparatus provided for the burial. The next paragraph is also centred on archaeological themes and deals singly with stelae found in situ and with stelae reused in a secondary context. The first part of this chapter concludes with a description of the principal collections of Coptic stelae, paying particular attention to the stelae conserved in the Italian collections, for which an overview has never been provided. The first chapter follows with an analysis of all the stela which, dated before the IVth century, we can consider to be the antecedents of the Coptic stelae: the ‘Palmyrene’ stelae from Coptos, the Alexandrian stelae, and the stelae from Therenouthis/Kom Abu Billou, Oxyrhynchus/el-Bahnasa, Antinoe/Sheikh Abada and Akoris. The chapter closes with a paragraph dedicated to the new funerary ideas introduced into Egypt by Christianity, but underlining those factors of continuity with tradition which will also remain visible in the production of Coptic stelae. In this case the analysis pays particular attention to the archaeological documentation. The second chapter is devoted to the more properly archaeological aspects and recounts the history of archaeological activity at the different sites where stelae have been found and these findings of stelae at the different sites have been organised in geographical order, from the Delta as far as Aswan. The third chapter deals with an analysis of the representations which appear on the stelae. This is a subject which has never before been dealt with in detail for all the documentation of Coptic stelae. The numerous stelae without any geographic indication of provenance, but characterised by a rich and variegated iconography, have also been dealt with here – and hence their exclusion in the preceding chapter. The figurative elements have been divided into different paragraphs grouped together by typology: architectural elements, human figures, symbols, birds, mammals, aquatic and marine elements, plant elements, other subjects. The third chapter contains the conclusions, which are collected together in three main paragraphs. In the first paragraph, the stelae are interpreted within the historic frame. In the second paragraph the stelae are interpreted on the basis an integrated analysis of epitaphs and images. In the last paragraph the principal macro-areas into which it is possible to divide Coptic documentation are identified. These areas are in the Delta, in Sinai, in Fayum, and in Middle and Upper Egypt. The principal characteristics of all of them are highlighted and historical motivations are proposed.

Bien que la littérature scientifique relative aux nécropoles méroïtiques, royales ou privées, soit assez abondante, force est d'admettre qu'aucune étude globale concernant le mobilier associé au monument funéraire méroïtique bâti n'a jamais été effectuée. Ce matériel considérable n'a, en effet, été traité que sommairement dans les diverses publications, que ce soit dans le cadre général de monographies relatives à un site en particulier ou d'une façon éclectique dans des ouvrages de synthèse, des articles transversaux ou autres catalogues d'expositions temporaires. Le but du présent travail n'est pas d'opérer un recensement de tous les objets liés aux superstructures connus à ce jour, ni même de dresser une carte des traditions funéraires méroïtiques au Soudan, de nombreux travaux inédits étant toujours en cours sur plusieurs sites archéologiques, mais bien de réunir les informations disponibles sur le mobilier archéologique relatif à ces structures spécifiques. Par le biais d'une approche méthodologique multiple (archéologique, architecturale, chronologique, stylistique, typologique et religieuse) et au moyen de la restitution des objets dans leur contexte physique, nous tenterons de reconstituer une gestuelle particulière, de même que de déterminer une évolution de ces pratiques et préciser ainsi la symbolique liée aux objets concernés. Nous chercherons à comprendre quels furent les actes et les démarches pratiqués par les acteurs de la cérémonie funéraire, membres de la famille et prêtres, visant à célébrer le souvenir du défunt dans la mémoire collective. En effet, il ne faudrait pas offrir une vison réductrice du complexe funéraire et des différents rites pratiqués, comme s'ils ne s'adressait qu'au défunt. Ces différents actes et gestes sont également destinés aux vivants, en modifiant les relations qu'ils entretiennent avec le disparu, changeant ainsi son statut dans le maillage social de la société. Les différentes actions réalisées dès le scellement de la chambre funéraire sont autant d'indices sur la façon dont les Méroïtes accomplissaient leur deuil. Il conviendra tout d'abord de s'intéresser aux traditions royales et de déterminer ensuite quand et de quelle façon ces traditions ont été adoptées par les élites de l'empire de Méroé, tant au niveau de la capitale que dans le reste de l'empire. Un dépouillement des archives de fouilles, notamment celles de G.A.. Reisner, nous a permis de découvrir des photographies inédites de certaines étapes de la fouille révélant ainsi des informations de première importance quant à l'emplacement originel de certains objets, ou illustrant d'autres objets qui ne figuraient dans aucune publication parce que jugés sans réelle importance à l'époque. La présente étude, dont de nombreuses approches sont inédites, permet d'établir un état de la question de "l'égyptianisation" des élites de Méroé et de la perception de la civilisation égyptienne qu'en ont les cultures limitrophes et ce, dans les différentes couches sociales
Although the scientific literature relating to the royal or private meroitic necropolises is rather abundant, we must admit that no general study concerning furniture associated with the meroitic monument has been made. This material was only treated in various publications, such as catalogues of temporary exhibitions, monographs relative to a specific archaeological site... The aim of this work is to join together information available well on archaeological furniture relative to these specific structures. By the means of a methodological approach (archaeological, architectural, chronological, stylistic, typological and religious) and by means of the restitution of the objects in their physical context, we will try to restore the religious act, as to determine an evolution of these practices and to thus specify the symbolic system related to the objects concerned. We will seek to include/understand which were the acts and the steps practised by the actors of the funerary ceremony (family members and priests) aiming at celebrating the memory of the deceased in the collective memory. It will first of all be advisable to be interested in the royal traditions and to then determine when and how these traditions were adopted by the elites of the empire of Méroé, on the level of the capital and in the remainder of the empire. An examination of the archives of excavations, in particular those of G.A. Reisner, enabled us to discover new photographs of certain stages of the excavation thus revealing information of first importance as for the original site of certain objects, or illustrating other objects which did not appear in any publication because judged without real importance at the time. The present study, whose many approaches are new, makes it possible to establish a progress achieved, to consolidate certain ideas previously advanced in the scientific literature and again raises the question of "the egyptianisation" of the elites of Méroé and the perception of Egyptian civilization that the cultures bordering have some and this, in the various social layers

Les stèles funéraires d’Antioche et de ses environs datant de l’Antiquité sont en si grand nombre qu’elles méritent une étude approfondie. Aucune des recherches menées tout au long du XXe siècle n’offre en effet un corpus complet ni illustré. De plus, le matériel découvert non seulement à l’époque ottomane impériale, mais aussi lors du mandat français notamment lors des fouilles de l’Université de Princeton a été dispersé entre la Turquie, la France, les États-Unis, la Syrie et le Liban. Consciente des enjeux multiples qu’une telle étude d’ensemble serait susceptible de nous livrer sur les éléments manquant dans notre connaissance des divers aspects de la vie sociale, culturelle et religieuse à Antioche et dans ses environs dans l’Antiquité, nous nous sommes efforcée de rassembler le plus grand nombre possible de stèles et de les illustrer, de les analyser minutieusement avant d’élaborer une synthèse sur le sujet. Dans cet objectif, nous avons mené des recherches au Musée archéologique d’Antakya et aux Archives du département d’Art et archéologie de l’Université de Princeton, deux principaux endroits où sont conservés les fruits des fouilles, pour pouvoir comparer les enregistrements d’inventaire, en établir une concordance et obtenir des données complémentaires. Quoique leurs collections soient relativement restreintes, nous avons également étudié les stèles du Musée archéologique d’Istanbul, et celles du Musée du Louvre et du Musée d’art de Worcester. Pour maîtriser nos résultats, nous avons utilisé le programme de File Maker Pro Advanced 11.0v2, qui permet de construire une base de données sans laquelle les documents recueillis seraient impossibles à gérer.Même si la langue grecque est régulièrement choisie pour graver les épitaphes des stèles, on peut constater de nombreuses variations qui peuvent être dialectales mais semblent surtout résulter d’une maîtrise médiocre de la langue. En dépit de la convention de l’épigraphie latine saisissable à travers l’onomastique romaine quoique transcrite en grec, les règles sont appliquées avec peu de rigueur dans les textes de notre corpus. Des noms théophores sont formés à partir des divinités aussi bien grecques, romaines qu’orientales. À partir de ces constatations, nous avons pu reconstituer des pans d’une société qui a réussi à concilier tant bien que mal les Hellènes, les Romains, les Orientaux hellénisés et romanisés sinon d’origine du moins de nom
The funerary steles of Antioch and its surrounding areas dating from Antiquity are so numerous that they deserve a thorough study. None of the researches performed throughout 20th century offered either a comprehensive or an illustrated corpus. Furthermore, the materials discovered in the Ottoman imperial period as well as throughout the French mandatory rule —particularly during the excavations conducted by Princeton University— were dispersed among Turkey, France, United States of America, Syria and Lebanon.Observing such deficiencies in the preliminary studies we became conscious of the necessity to cover the missing elements and gaps regarding the various aspects of social, cultural and religious life in Antioch and its surrounding areas in Antiquity through a comprehensive study. We endeavoured to collect largest possible number of steles, to illustrate them, and consequently to elaborate our synthesis based on minute analyses.For this purpose, we conducted researches in Antakya Archaeological Museum and in the Archives of the Department of Art and Archaeology at Princeton University (two main places where the outcome of the aforesaid excavations are preserved) in order to compare the inventory records, to establish a correspondence and to obtain complementary data. Although their collections are relatively small, we also studied the steles of the Archaeological Museum of Istanbul, the Louvre Museum and the Worcester Art Museum. We used the software program File Maker Pro Advanced 11.0v2 for designing an extensive database which rendered the collected material manageable. Although Greek is regularly chosen in engraving epitaphs, we may observe many variations that are dialectal, most likely due to poor command of the language. Notwithstanding that the Latin epigraphic conventions are perceptible through Roman onomastics even though transcribed in Greek, these rules are applied with little rigor in the texts of our corpus. Theophoric names are formed after the names of Greek, Roman as well as the Oriental gods. Based on these observations, we were able to reconstruct parts of a society that somehow managed to reconcile the Hellens, the Romans, the Hellenized and the Romanized Orientals on the level of name, if not on the level of ethnic origins

The dissertation analyses the reliefs and paintings on thirty-one different tombs in Western Anatolia erected between 600 and 450 BC, in order to illuminate the ways in which non-Greek elites were identified on their memorials. The tombs from three areas are treated: Phrygia, Hellespontine Phrygia and Lydia, where the primary language groups were Phrygian, Mysian and Lydian. There is little literary evidence for these regions, and what there is tends to focus on political developments. Descriptions of people and society are few, and tend to represent them from an outside perspective, grouping them according to cultural characteristics which differentiate them from Greeks. It is clear, however, that the regions were important, prosperous places, controlled by illustrious grandees and land marked with a relatively high proportion of monumental tombs. Of these monumental tombs, there is a relatively high number decorated with striking and articulate images. There is much to be gained from examining the images on these tombs, as ‘indigenous’ sources for how elite Western Anatolians described themselves. Previous approaches to the tombs and their images have tended to look at them individually or in smaller groups, and to concentrate on the transmission and reception of Persian and Greek culture in the Achaemenid provinces. This dissertation contributes a broader comparative study of the decorated tombs, focussing on the kinds of statuses the images represent and the cultural forms these took. By comparing the various methods of self-representation, it clarifies patterns of identities in Western Anatolia and their relationship to historical circumstances. The dissertation is divided into five chapters. An introduction outlines the scope and sample, the historical background, previous studies of the monuments, the definition of ‘identity’ and the methods of analysis adopted here. Three case study chapters present the regions and the decorated monuments within them. A concluding chapter synthesises three aspects: social identities (roles and spheres of life represented); geographic and chronological patterns; and cultural affiliations and orientations. The dissertation concludes that a tension between Persian identities and local traditions is evident in some of the tomb images, which relates to the political upheavals in Western Anatolia and the Aegean at the time of the Persian Wars.

"El Castillo" de Huarmey: A Middle Horizon Burial PlatformDue to excellent conditions of preservation excavations at the Middle Horizon site "El Castillo" de Huarmey have yielded many textiles. It is now clear that the majority of the textiles known as "Moche-Huari" come from this site. In this paper architectural remains at the site and other surface findings are described and discussed. These new data shed interesting light on cultural dynamics in this region during the Middle Horizon.
Gracias a unas excelentes condiciones de conservación, se ha podido recuperar un gran número de tejidos del "Castillo" de Huarmey, complejo correspondiente al Horizonte Medio. La mayoría de los tejidos "moche-huari" que se conocen actualmente provienen de este sitio. En este trabajo se discuten tambien los restos arquitectónicos conservados, así como hallazgos de superficie de otros tipos de materiales. Los datos obtenidos revelan aspectos interesantes acerca de la dinámica cultural en esta región durante el Horizonte Medio.

O presente trabalho propõe um enfoque na arte e no estilo da cerâmica arqueológica funerária da Amazônia com o objetivo de aprofundar o entendimento sobre as formas de organização social e as dinâmicas précoloniais de ocupação humana da região. Utilizando-nos de conceitos da antropologia social e da antropologia da arte sobre estilo e agência, analisamos os objetos rituais funerários enquanto mediadores e transformadores das relações sociais. Uma incursão exploratória na etnologia de rituais funerários, em particular nas implicações do perspectivismo ameríndio sobre as concepções de humanidade, ancestralidade, morte, corpo e alma na Amazônia, somada a um breve panorama da variabilidade estilística das urnas antropomorfas das diferentes tradições e fases cerâmicas arqueológicas, propomos alguns parâmetros comparativos para a correlação entre estilos funerários e formas de reprodução social. Os parâmetros propostos são então verificados para o caso particular de um conjunto de urnas funerárias da fase marajoara. Concluímos que a cerâmica ritual e, em particular a funerária, apresenta um enorme potencial analítico para resolvermos algumas incongruências epistemológicas que tem se apresentado entre a arqueologia e a etnologia da Amazônia, notadamente sobre os diferentes princípios de organização social das sociedades do passado e do presente.
This dissertation proposes a focus on the art and style of archeological funerary vessels from Amazonia to improve understanding of patterns of social organization and pre-colonial change in the human occupation of the region. Drawing from concepts about style and agency in social anthropology and the anthropology of art, we analyze objects in funerary rituals as mediators and transformers of social relations. An exploratory incursion into the ethnology of funerary rituals, especially the implications of Amerindian perspectivist conceptions of humanity, ancestry, death and soul in Amazonia, and a summary comparative panorama of the stylistic variation of anthropomorphic urns from different archaeological ceramic traditions and phases, we propose some comparative parameters for correlations between funerary styles and forms of social reproduction. These parameters are then examined for the particular case of funerary vessels from the Marajoara phase. We conclude that ritual ceramics, especially funerary ceramics, presents an enormous analytical potential for resolving epistemological incongruences that have appeared in Amazonian archaeology and ethnology, notably that of different principles of social organization in the past and present.

No prophet in his own land, “Citizen Saull” approached French savants. At home he had praised the July Revolution (1830), and would celebrate its anniversary yearly. And he introduced French-style funeral orations at radical funerals, as dissidents took over the last rites. He was known on the Continent, as a French-speaking wine importer, and as Robert Owen’s interlocutor in Paris. Unlike elite English geologists, the Parisians were more open to planetary explanations of stratal disposition. Republican geologists put him up for the Société Géologique de France and he was elected in 1834. His Essay on the Coincidence of Astronomical & Geological Phenomena (1836) was accordingly addressed to the Société. At home, marginal astrologers, looking to raise their status, extolled the book, not exactly the support Saull was looking for. Days after his induction into the Société, Saull was sending his coal-seam ferns to the fossil botanist Adolphe Brongniart, who made one a type species, Sigillaria saullii. Such immortalization raised Saul’s stock, and acted as a further imprimatur for his museum

Having given Petrie and Hibbert a final resting place in his museum, Saull set about securing his own. Here we look at Owenite and freethought last rites and Saull’s French-style obsequies. The examples chosen are the send-off given to Saull’s friends, the old London Corresponding Society revolutionary John Gale Jones, and agrarian reformer Allen Davenport. When Saull bought his own plot in Kensal Green Cemetery, next to Davenport, his monkey-satirizing nemesis Rev. James Elishama Smith criticized him for seeking an unChristian sectarianism even unto death. The first to be interred in Saull’s plot was the old class warrior Henry Hetherinton, who had made his rapprochement with Owenism and had remained true to Saull. Hetherington’s in-house ‘social funeral’ is looked at, and the ideological purpose it served.

The contribution is dedicated to the funerary enclosures found in the Roman necropolis of Opitergium. There are sixteen attestations dating from the 1st to the 3rd century A.D., six of which have only been partially brought to light. The monuments are generally located on the sides of the streets along which the funerary areas developed; in most cases, only the foundations have been preserved and no funerary monument or stele with pedatura or sculptural element has been found in direct association with the structures. Some considerations are proposed on the dimensional aspects, but the few available testimonies do not allow to establish a regulation in the funerary lots distribution.

Gareth Schott’s Chapter Seven draws attention to the thematic associations between Harron’s Six Feet Under episode “The Rainbow of Her Reasons” to American Psycho. Schott gives detailed analysis of the funeral cosmetics industry and its parallels to the lifestyle of Patrick Bateman, arguing that Harron’s recurring thematic obsessions and visual style made her one of the strongest directors employed during the series’ run.

Статья посвящена костюму жителей позднеантичной Фанагории, украшенному золотом. Женский убор с золотыми бляшками, типичный для варварской аристократии гуннского времени, связан с Боспором и широко известен в комплексах позднеантичного времени. Однако погребений, где элементы костюма сохранились in situ немного. В Фанагории нашивные украшения одежды происходят из девяти престижных погребальных комплексов. Эти материалы позволяют реконструировать женский погребальный костюм Боспора Киммерийского в позднеантичное время. Особую ценность имеет комплекс из северной камеры склепа 315/2019, в котором многочисленные золотые предметы найдены непотревоженными на шее и груди женщины. Они разделяются на два набора: детали ворота нижней одежды/платья и обшивку ворота верхней одежды (плаща или накидки). Великолепная сохранность этого комплекса украшений позволяет реконструировать особенности фасона одежды. Золотые детали декора женской одежды гуннского времени, скорее всего, имеют боспорское происхождение. Они близки к церемониальным изделиям из золотой и серебряной фольги, имитировавшим дорогие ременные гарнитуры и монеты в погребальном обряде позднеантичного времени. Фанагорийские материалы дают нам основания выдвинуть гипотезу о распространении в элитарной культуре эпохи Великого переселения народов на Боспоре Киммерийском женского костюма, декорированного золотыми нашивками, который с высокой долей вероятности мог быть погребальным, то есть специально изготовленным для похорон знатных и состоятельных горожанок Боспорского государства того времени. The article deals with gold-decorated clothing used by residents of late antique Phanagoria. Women’s attire with golden plaques, which is typical for the barbarian aristocracy of the Hunnic Age, was connected with Bosporos and well known in late ancient complexes. However, there are not so many burials where clothing elements survived in situ. In Phanagoria, sewn-on clothing decorations are found in nine prestigious burial complexes. These materials allow us to reconstruct women’s funeral clothing used in the Cimmerian Bosporos in Late Antiquity. A complex from the northern chamber of tomb 315/2019 is of special value, since it includes numerous golden items found undisturbed on woman’s neck and chest. They are divided into two sets: elements of underclothing/dress collar and strapping of outer cloth ing (cloak or cape) collar. Very good preservation of this decoration complex allows us to reconstruct the specific features of the clothing style. Golden elements in decorations of Hun nic Age women’s clothing are most likely of Bosporan origin. They are close to ceremonial articles made of golden and silver foil, which imitated luxurious belt fittings and coins in funeral rites of Late Antique period. The Phanagorian materials suggest that the women’s clothing decorated with golden plaques was widespread in the elite culture of the Migration Period in the Cimmerian Bosporos and could be tailor-made for funerals of noble and wealthy Bosporan townswomen of that time.

The article examines materials of the burial complexes belonging to representatives of the highest aristocracy of Northern Qi (550-577). The design, burial inventory, plots and style of wall paintings in these burials are uniform, which indicates the strict regulation of the funeral rites. All the materials reflect the polyethnicity of the Chinese-Xianbi population of the Northern Qi (and in particular, the elites) and its intensive external contacts (with Turks, Rouran, Sogdians). The art presented in the tombs discussed demonstrates a fusion of ideas and images, originated from the Hun tradition and formed under the influence of Buddhism, as well as borrowed during the contacts with steppe nomads and the settled population of Central Asia.