ABSTRACT
In simpler burials an image of the deceased was sometimes provided on a stela placed with the body. Comparison of the stelae from the northern and southern parts of Egypt reveals interesting differences in iconography. Those from the north, exemplified by specimens from Kom Abu Billo, are classical in style, showing the deceased in Hellenistic dress and pose, frequently framed by architectural details of classical type and with an inscription in Greek. The stelae from the south are purely Egyptian. The traditional pharaonic lunette at the top contains a winged solar disc, and the main scene represents the gods Osiris, Isis and Anubis, with the deceased either as a mummy on a bier or as a living individual being presented to Osiris.
