Deconstructing Ancient Egyptian Stelae

There are many ways people venerate and communicate with the dead. In ancient Egypt, it was common for people to commission stelae with decorative images and short texts. Stelae were used to commemorate people and provide access to the dead or divine.

The upper register shows Queen Ahmose-Nefertari, and her son, Amenhotep I, seated on thrones. They were royals who were deified after their deaths and worshipped as gods.

Ahmose-Nefertari wears a  vulture headdress, often worn by royal wives and female pharaohs, with a crown of a sun disk and large feathers. Her skin is black, a symbol of rebirth, fertility, and resurrection. Her name is written inside the cartouche.

The text identifies the deceased who are venerating Ahmose-Nefertari and Amenhotep I as: "Servant in the Place of Truth (i.e. the royal necropolis) Amonemope, True of Voice; his
son, the Servant in the Place of Truth, Amennakht, True of Voice, forever."

This stela is dedicated to Amenhotep I who is depicted at the center, holding a crook and wearing an uraeus, symbols of divine authority.

You can read his name, written in the cartouches, “Djeserkara Amenhotep (I).” 

What is interesting is that the text is written as if Ramesses IV is the dedicator of the stela. But it is likely that the real owner actually invoked Ramesses VI to act as intermediary between the unknown dedicator, and the god Amenhotep I.  

Both the left and right sides list the  royal names of Ramesses IV.  Together, these names defined the king and his relationship to the gods. By listing the names of Ramesses IV, the owner summoned the absolute holiness of the king to speak on their behalf to the deified Amenhotep.

“The living Horus, ‘Victorious ka-bull, living Maat, lord of festivals 
(like his father) Ptah-Tjenen” 

“The King of Upper and Lower Egypt, the Lord of the Two Lands, Heqaamun-maat Setepenre; the son of Ra, lord of appearances, Ramesses Meryamun”