Artistic features of the round topped new kingdom individuals stelae in Serabit el-Khadem

Abstract EN

Sinai became since the Archaic Period, the main supplier of turquoise, and remained so during the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms.

That was why South Sinai was the destination of many mining missions that documented commemorative inscriptions on the rocks of the mountains surrounding the mines, the roads leading to them, or on the sandstone stelae.

The current study focuses on the artistic features of the round-topped New Kingdom individuals' stelae in Serabit El-Khadem in South Sinai.

The first table illustrates the main information of forty-five studied stelae followed by an analytical study of their artistic features; such as the scenes of the round top (first register) that contain symbols like the winged sun-disk and the wDAt eye, hieroglyphic inscriptions, or sometimes kept plain.

Then, the study deals with the body of the stela (second register), discusses royal and individuals clothing, headdresses, beards, necklaces, sandals, altars, and offerings.

Besides, the research focuses on the scenes of the bottom of the stela (third register) which mainly advertises the position of the owners of the stelae in the scene.

The study ends with a conclusion that reiterates the most important results of the current study.