SOME REMARKS ON THE ORIGINS OF THE AKSUMITE STELAE.

by Rodolfo FATTOVICH

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the origins of the Aksurriite stelae in the light of the Near Eastern and African megali- thism.

The funerary stelae are the most famous feature of the ancient Aksumite culture. They represent the survival of a megalithic tradition in Northern Ethiopia in historical times. At present, four main types of monoliths are known (Littmann et al. 1913 II: 1 — 43; Kammerer 1926: 126—135, 1929 a: 225 — 230; Conti Rossini 1928: 239 — 242) : i) unhewn, elongated and flat stones, sometimes with a roughly pointed top, normally 3 — 5 m high; ii) pointed stones with smooth round sides and square section, 1.60 — 9.50 m high; iii) hewn slabs with smooth sides, rectangular section, round top, up to 21 m high; iv) 'storid' stelae, carved with symbolic representations of houses, 15 — 33 m high. Offering tables, often carved with small basins and vegetal ornaments, were placed at the base of some hewn and 'storied' stelae. The monoliths were oriented roughly to the South East. They were obtained fiom quarries close to the sites where they were erected (see Anfray 1972 a: 70; Ricci 1974: 439). The stelae were cut in the rock with soaked wooden wedges driven into îectangular notches and were probably erected by means of earth steeps (see Anfray 1972 a: 70), like the Egyptian obelisks (see Habachi 1977). According to Monneret de Villard. (1983 39) such technique might indicate an Egyptian influence on the Aksumite culture.

The stelae are located mainly in the Tigrai (see Anfray 1973, 1974 a). They were found at Addi Dahno, Bieta Giyorgis, Aksum, Henzat, Hausien and 'Anza. At Aksum they form four stelae fields in the areas of Gudit, Mai Hejja, Mai Malahsô and Bazen (Littmann et al. 1913 II: 1 — ,43; Conti Rossini 1928: pi 39, 1942; Puglisi 1941: 100 — 103; Anfray 1972 a, 1973: 16; Chittick 1974;

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