The Stelae of Aksum: Palaces of the Dead
In a land once called Aksum, now known as Ethiopia, there stand large stone columns; the ruins of an ancient civilization, of which much is forgotten. The remnants of what may have once been a great empire are now surrounded by mundane little towns, thus calling attention to the origin of the structures, their purpose, and the history surrounding their creation. Though few, if any, documents survive that detail the story of these stelae, as they are called, the monuments themselves stand as a permanent primary source, willing to disclose valuable information about the culture that erected them, if one will go so far as to take the time to study the carvings and the surrounding circumstances. The stelae of Aksum are a testament of the ancient history of Ethiopia, and represent the power of monarchy presiding over a complex system of religious and cultural beliefs, possibly including a knowledge of the afterlife and beliefs pertaining to it that are similar to those of the Egyptians and Chaldeans.
While the tallest of the stelae toppled to the earth centuries ago, the tallest of those still standing is a magnificent sight to behold, even in a small photograph. One who has never set eyes upon it can only imagine the grandeur that must accompany the massive structure. It appears to be approximately seventy feet tall, consisting of artificial “stories” every seven feet. These are not true stories, but are rather a product of the way that the single stone was fashioned. At its base is an artificial door, which can be recognized as such from far away, above which are false windows carved directly into the stone. This gives the stela the appearance of a tall, thin, tower-like palace of stone. At its base are stone steps leading to the door, and in the surrounding area are similar structures on a smaller scale, sporting fewer carvings. On the horizon are stony mountains, which protect the Ethiopian land and may be a contributing factor to the survival of the stelae over the centuries. It is a scene that is reminiscent of mystery.
All of the stelae stand over the individual graves of kings of Aksum. An obvious reason for this might be that the structures were used as a type of tombstone, similar to the grave markers that we use today. Or, there might be a more complex answer, which will be detailed soon enough. However, regardless of the purpose of the stelae, their existence is evidence of an organized society. Wandering tribes do not erect massive stone monuments over their dead. For ruins of this scale to exist, a society must have existed in which the monarch commanded the authority to direct the construction of the stelae. As well, the intricate carvings and skillful shaping of the stone are evidence of artisans, which are found only in civilized societies, of which the state exercises at least enough control to protect its people and allow the pursuit of crafts and knowledge to flourish. An effort was made to hew the stone from the solid rock of the mountains, transport it to a location suitable for carving, and then erect it upon the specific site of the king’s burial. Whether this sequence of events occurred before or after the king’s death is unclear, though good arguments could be made for both scenarios. Most likely the succeeding king oversaw the construction of the monument in remembrance of his predecessor.
Returning to the significance of the stelae, it may be that they were intended to be much more than mere tombstones. This idea can be somewhat supported by looking at other dominant cultures of the same time period as the stelae, which is approximately 300 A.D. The Egyptians, reigning to the north of Aksum, had always been given to erecting massive stone structures in the name of their Pharaohs. The most notable examples of this concept are the pyramids at Giza, which were built during the lifetime of the Pharaohs over whose tombs they grace. While completed centuries before the stelae of Aksum were raised, there is nonetheless a similarity between the two, as both stand as markers for specific gravesites of national rulers. This does not necessarily prove a connection between the culture of Aksum and the culture of Ancient Egypt, though it is certain that the two are more akin than the cultures of the Egyptians and the Mayans of Central America, which exhibit surprising similarities to one another. Instead, it may be similar religious beliefs derived from an original common belief that fuels the dim connection between the two.
A belief common to many ancient cultures was that of the afterlife. Specifically, in regions such as Sumeria and Egypt, rulers constructed special burial chambers that they believed they would reside in during the afterlife. The Sumerians buried large numbers of household slaves with the deceased ruler to serve him in this afterlife, while the Egyptians believed that the point of the pyramid, reinforced with sacred geometry that guided its construction, would serve as the channel for the spirit of the dead Pharaoh to join his fellow brethren of gods. This is fairly common knowledge in the academic community, and there is little or no controversy about these facts. Connections from both of these ancient religious beliefs to the stelae of Aksum can be tentatively made, though there is not solid evidence that the connections can be rightly established.
One purpose of the stelae might have been to serve as a conductor of the soul of the deceased king to travel from his grave to the afterlife, or the Aksum culture’s “heaven”. Its pointed top and perpendicular position relative to the ground might be an indication of this, similar to the obelisks and pyramids of Egypt. However, a second purpose of the stelae, which is further supported by the intricate carvings upon their surfaces, is that of a “palace of the afterlife.” The people of Aksum may have believed that once dead, their king would need a palace in which to reside for all of eternity. The massive stelae, with their false doors and windows, certainly appear to be a type of palace. This, and their proximity to the burial chambers of the kings, contributes to the evidence that the purpose of the structures might indeed have been to house the spirits of the dead rulers. Thus, once deceased, each king had assurance that his spirit would live on in comfort and royalty, overlooking the landscape of his former state from a palace which was practically indestructible.
This hypothesis, which is largely based on the physical evidence of the tallest stela of Aksum itself, can be connected to readings contained within History of Africa by Kevin Shillington. He describes the great prosperity of Aksum, which included trade with Egypt and the Roman Empire, and attributes the idea of building large stone structures to the Sabaean settlers of previous centuries. Little analysis is provided concerning the actual purpose of the structures, but their origin is sufficiently described. A powerful trading society could easily afford to erect large monuments over the gravesites of its kings, and trade with other nations might produce an infusing of religious believes which would support the “afterlife theory” that has been previously suggested.
As well, because the time period in which Christianity was adopted by Aksum coincides with a halt in the building of stelae, during the Fourth Century AD , it might be that the newly Christianized people shrugged off their old religious beliefs and no longer saw the need for “palaces of the afterlife.” This assumption can not be proved, in the conventional sense, but it is extremely likely that this is what occurred. As the Christian religion became more and more imbedded in the culture of what was to become Ethiopia, the residents moved away from carving stone to service their old religion, and instead carved churches into the rock, which are equally as fascinating as their pagan counterparts, if not quite as mysterious in purpose.
The stelae of Aksum magnify its grandeur at the height of its prosperity, and their continued presence in the modern world demonstrate the mark that ancient cultures leave on the Earth, even many centuries after their last belief has faded away. While Ethiopia has a comparatively new Christian heritage which has permeated every aspect of political and cultural life, the inhabitants of the land nonetheless possess a heritage connected to the ancient kingdom of Aksum, and continue to live among the remnants of monuments of that old civilization, even while they adhere to new beliefs that differ substantially from the beliefs of their ancestors who raised the magnificent stelae.
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