Myriam Khalil

A Stele is a commemorative or funerary wooden or stone slab that is usually higher

than it is erected and wide. The Stele was widely used in ancient civilization because
it was a simple yet respectable method for people to express their gratitude to the
individual for whom it was made. A stele was a visible way for observers to recognize
what was being built as a monument and to clearly emphasize the importance of the
person being honored. Individuals passing by the Stele will be unable to ignore the
tall structure and will immediately recognize that the structure they are seeing was
built to honor someone for something wonderful or admirable.
The purpose of the Stelae was to signify a person’s accomplishments, esteem, or
importance in the community. In the MindTap readings, the author states, “Stelae
were often used to commemorate the achievements of a ruler.” (1-1 Global
Perspectives). Stelae were used to memorialize people’s lives and to show how much
respect they were given during their lives. Great rulers or individuals who
revolutionized the way of life in their civilization were regularly honored with steles.
A traveler’s impression after viewing all three stelae would be that the monuments
created for those people were individuals who possessed significant power or
influence over their community. The traveler may also feel that the person with the
larger stelae made a greater contribution to society, or that they were more
powerful or wealthier. The traveler might feel that the person with the taller or more
expensive stelae had a greater impact on the people in that society than the one
with the smaller stelae. As the world progressed, so grew the complexity of the
stelae, the larger the monument, however, does not always imply that the individual
left a greater or more lasting legacy on society.