The tombs customarily attributed to the sixth century Aksumite
kings Kaleb and Gabra
Masqal could conceivably be of that period or of the fifth century. The building-complex
consisted of two underground granite-built tombs with a double superstructure which
seems to have consisted chiefly of two columned halls set on a platform approached by a
staircase. The façade was about 40 m long, and the two halls were not exactly the same
size, that attributed to Gabra Masqal being a little larger. The eight- or ten-columned hall
above the `Kaleb' tomb measured c. 10 × 11 m, and that above the `Gabra Masqal' tomb
c. 10 × 13 m, though both also had niches to the east adding an extra 2 m. The Gabra
Masqal hall contained some sort of architectural feature, possibly a cupola or baldaquin,
perhaps for a statue of the deceased (see the illustration in Littmann 1913: II, 133). Each
side of the superstructure also contained entrance halls and staircase-wells, and these
side-buildings were linked by a broad main entrance-stair 23 m wide. This was
surmounted by a terrace with two porticoes, each with a column
in the centre supporting
the roof; the base of the column on the Kaleb side was square and stepped, while the
column (which survived) and base on the Gabra Masqal side were octagonal. The
building may represent a memorial chapel or shrine to the deceased, perhaps a
`Christianised' development of the principle which gave rise to the decorated stelae and
the Tomb of the False Door. The
Book of Aksum claims that these tombs were filled with
gold and pearls.
Illustration 32. The white capping over a fill of stones on one of the platforms at Aksum.
Photo BIEA.
The main southern stele field, particularly the area set aside in modern times as a `Stele
Park', is also characterised by the terracing achieved by erecting walls or platforms. The
earliest of these platforms are the oldest architectural works yet found at Aksum (Chittick
1974; Munro-Hay 1989), and may date to the first century AD or possibly even a little
earlier in some cases. Platform-building seems to have continued for some time, the
typical examples being simple stepped or rebated revetting
walls acting as facing to
enormous quantities of freshly-quarried rock fill. They appear to have been carefully
topped with layers of white and red soils, doubtless specially chosen for some religious
purpose, and there are signs that sacrifices or sacrificial meals took place on or around
them. They seem to precede some of the stelae and to be contemporary with others. At
some time, possibly in the fourth century, major work was undertaken to raise the height
of the stele field, the whole being faced with a long rebated terrace wall at least three
metres high. It is on this terrace that the largest of all the stelae were raised.
6. The Stelae
These are the most famous of all the monuments of Aksum.
They range from very rough
and simple stones erected to mark grave-pits, to massive sculpted towers which represent
soaring multi-storeyed palaces. Such huge monuments represent an enormous outlay of
labour and skill, particularly in the most elaborate specimens. There are six carved and
decorated monuments, the largest, now fallen and broken, formerly exceeding 33 m in
height, with a measurement at the base of about 3 × 2 m. It is carved on all four sides and
shows 12 storeys. It seems that the kings each tried to outdo
the achievements of their
predecessors; this largest of all the stelae exceeds by far even its nearest companion,
which was only about 24 m high, and c. 2 × 1 m at the base. It was only ten storeys high
and, though also carved on all four faces, was not so elaborate. One wonders if the giant
stele ever actually stood, or whether it immediately plunged down to smash its (variously
estimated) 400-750 tons to pieces on the terrace wall below, destroying the great tomb,
Nefas Mawcha, as it fell. The stelae very often have only about one-twelfth of their
length buried, very inadequate support when the total height began to grow, let alone
when it exceeded 33 m; the third tallest, also probably about 24 m long but only 21 m
above
the ground, still (rather surprisingly) stands dominating the terrace of stelae, in
spite of the abraded surface of the Stele Park, which leaves it somewhat less support than
it originally had. Only very few stones in the ancient world exceeded the Aksum stelae in
bulk, notably those forming the
trilithon at Baalbek, constructed in the first half of the
first century AD, where the largest stone measures something in the order of 20 × 4 × 4
m.
Illustration 33. View from the
Nefas Mawcha looking towards the restored terrace wall,
showing the
still standing decorated stele; to the left of it originally stood the two largest
stelae.
Illustration 34. The largest of all the stelae, lying as it fell over the terrace wall. (Photo D.
Phillipson).
The great monolithic towers unquestionably mark the sites of the tombs of the Aksumite
kings, although only two tombs which can be directly associated with them have so far
come to light. All six of the carved stelae are embellished with the elaborate doors,
windows, beam ends and other features typical of Aksumite architecture. At their
summits are emplacements for what seem to have been either one or two metal plaques,
which we may perhaps imagine as gilded bronze embossed with the sign of the disc and
crescent or some other emblem of the kings or gods. All that now remains are the traces
of
the fixing nails, arranged in positions which could even represent the cross;
conceivably those which bore pagan symbols were later `Christianised' (van Beek 1967).
At the base of the decorated stelae were granite base-plates, carved in the case of all but
the second largest (those of the largest have never been found) with the kylix, or Greek-
style wine-cup with two handles. Some show several of these carved cups, with
surrounds of decorative carving to the base-plates. The missing front base-plate for Stele
6 was found by Chittick (1974: pl. VIa). It is supposed that the cups were for offerings;
since there is a similar cup carved in the base of a fruit-press cut from the solid rock at
Atshafi
near Aksum, it may indeed have been for wine-offerings that these altar- like
base-plates were prepared. Perhaps the wine-offerings were poured out during memorial
ceremonies for the deceased.
Illustration 35. The top of one of the decorated stelae (no. 4) showing the emplacements
presumably for fixing decorative plaques.
Illustration 36. The base-plate of one of the decorated stelae at Aksum (no. 4), showing
the kylix carved in the raised central portion, and three others around it; in the
background can be seen the fallen stele.