stela

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Related to stelae: Axum stelae

stele

ste·le

(stē′lē, stēl)

1. also ste·la (stē′lə) pl. steles also ste·lae (-lē) An upright stone or slab with an inscribed or sculptured surface, used as a monument or as a commemorative tablet in the face of a building.

2. stele (stēl, stē′lē) The primary vascular tissue in the stem or root of a vascular plant, consisting of the xylem and phloem together with supporting tissues, such as pith.

[Greek stēlē, pillar; see stel- in Indo-European roots.]

ste′lar (-lər) adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ste•le

(ˈsti li, stil for 1-3; stil, ˈsti li for 4 )

n., pl. ste•lai (ˈsti laɪ) ste•les (ˈsti liz, stilz)

1. an upright stone slab or pillar bearing an inscription or design and serving as a monument, marker, or the like.

2. a prepared surface on the face of a building, a rock, etc., bearing an inscription or the like.

3. the central cylinder of vascular tissue in the stems and roots of the higher plants.

Also, stela (for defs. 1-3).

[1810–20; < Greek stḗlē, akin to Latin stāre to stand]

ste′lar, adj.

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Noun

stela - an ancient upright stone slab bearing markings

stele

antiquity - an artifact surviving from the past

stone - building material consisting of a piece of rock hewn in a definite shape for a special purpose; "he wanted a special stone to mark the site"

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Stele

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References in periodicals archive ?

In roughly chronological order, long chapters consider such aspects as Shang and Zhou funeral practices: interpretation of material vestiges, Chinese history writing between the sacred and the secular, ritual practices for constructing terrestrial space: Warring States to early Han, classics without canonization: learning and authority in Qin and Han, and latter Han commemorative stelae: laying the cornerstones of public memory.

Early Chinese Religion; Part 1: Shang Through Han (1250 BC-220 AD); 2 volume set (reprint, 2009)

Waadalla Abul Ela, head of the ministry's projects sector, announced that a development project targets to establish a collection of concrete mastabas for the monumental blocks and stelae that were found in the temple.

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As visitors descend into the site, the stelae rise above them and their perspective becomes disoriented, fragmented; they can hear voices, sounds, laughter, but cannot locate the source; they pass blindly through the grid's intersections, unsure what they will find around the corner.

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Most of the inscribed objects are in stone (stelae, architectural elements, statues, reliefs) but there are also terracotta objects.

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However, I have had the opportunity to study other gaddhegal stelae from Maharashtra and these present interesting details as discussed below.

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Consisting of three monumental complexes standing in the west, southeast and northeast, the site featured a large number of stelae (tall sculpted stone shafts) and altars (low circular stones).

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The centerpiece of Justin Matherly's exhibition "All industrious people" was a twenty-five-foot-long concrete sculpture modeled after several ancient stelae discovered in Turkey.

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A search of the suspects' vehicle turned up 34 bronze coins and two historic grave stelae. Cahit A., Ali B., Nejdet Y.

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They also need to cast the devil's stelae seven times with little pebbles on the second day of the Hajj .

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If (while looking down the row of stelae) I take one slow small step to the side, for a fleeting moment in my perception-cognition lag, it is unclear whether I am moving, or whether one four-ton block of clay is 'stepping' out from behind another.

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Included are colossal heads, a large-scale throne, and monumental stelae in addition to precious small-scale vessels, figures, adornments, and masks.