stela
Inscribed upright slab
A stela is an upright stone slab or pillar bearing an inscription or carved design, typically serving as a monument or marker.
Ancient civilizations used stelae to commemorate victories, mark boundaries, or honor the dead: The Maya stela recorded the king's conquests.
The plural is stelae or stelas.
Tapering stone monument
- menhirPrehistoric upright stone monument
- dolmenMegalithic stone tomb
- cromlechMegalithic stone monument
- hengePrehistoric circular monument
ziggurat · pyramid · tumulus · megalith · monolith · standing stone · runestone · boundary stone
Symbolic picture-based writing
- cuneiformStylus-impressed ancient script
- glyphsCarved symbolic figures
- epitaphText honoring the deceased
- engravingCarving into hard surfaces
carving · etching · script · pictograms · epigraphy · paleography · cartouche · demotic
Thing preserving remembrance
- tributeOffering of respect
- dedicationWholehearted loyalty to purpose
- honoringRecognizing with respect
- remembranceAct of holding something in mind
cenotaph · homage · funerary · tombstone · gravestone · grave marker · boundary marker · votive
obelisk
Tapering stone monument
- menhirPrehistoric upright stone monument
- dolmenMegalithic stone tomb
- cromlechMegalithic stone monument
henge · ziggurat · pyramid · tumulus · megalith · monolith · standing stone · runestone · boundary stone · pillar
hieroglyphics
Symbolic picture-based writing
- cuneiformStylus-impressed ancient script
- glyphsCarved symbolic figures
- epitaphText honoring the deceased
engraving · carving · etching · script · pictograms · epigraphy · paleography · cartouche · demotic · hieratic
memorial
Thing preserving remembrance
- tributeOffering of respect
- dedicationWholehearted loyalty to purpose
- honoringRecognizing with respect
remembrance · cenotaph · homage · funerary · tombstone · gravestone · grave marker · boundary marker · votive · ancestor
sanctuary
Protected sacred space
sacred · ritual · offering · votive · deity · gods · ceremonial · prayer · worship · blessing
- Egyptologypyramids, pyramid, pharaohs, pharaoh, hieroglyphs
- Ancient Egyptian Artifactsamulet, ankh, canopic jar, coffin, death mask
- Egyptian arttomb paintings, hieroglyphics, sarcophagi, scarabs, tomb painting
- Egyptian artifactsscarab, scarabs, canopic jar, canopic jars, papyrus
- hieroglyphicshieroglyphics, hieroglyphs, hieroglyph, glyph, glyphs
- Mesoamerican ruinsTikal, Chichen Itza, Tulum, Teotihuacan, ball court
stelamillstone
Grain-crushing circular stone
grinding stone · building block · paving stone · foundation stone