Funerary Stela of Heras

This inscribed and decorated limestone slab is a funerary stela, or tombstone, excavated from the Graeco-Roman necropolis adjacent to the ancient city of Terenouthis. It belonged to a man named Heras, who died around the age of 54, as indicated by the Greek inscription on the bottom of the stela. Found along with 197 other stela excavated from Terenouthis, this stela depicts a common scene, that of a banqueter reclining on a Greek dining couch. Also, there is a small jackal depicted to the left of the reclining man. This jackal is a representation of the Egyptian god Anubis, who serves as both a guardian and guide for the deceased in the afterlife. The carving style, clothing, and architectural elements depicted in the stela are Roman, while the incorporation of the jackal figure indicates that the deceased had a connection to the Egyptian jackal gods. The incorporation of Roman artistic elements, Greek language, and Egyptian deities in one stela accurately represents the complexity of cultural identity in Terenouthis.

The downloadable files are in an .STL format which is optimal for 3D printing. We suggest using a free software such as Meshmixer to edit the file to your needs. Some objects may need supports added or should be hollowed out for the most efficient printing. Any questions about 3D printing should be directed to kelsey.disko.project@umich.edu.

Download STL

Touch Controls

Orbit: swiping on mobile or click and drag with a mouse.

Panning: two-finger touch, or dragging with right-click.

Zoom:  pinching on a mobile device or the scroll wheel on a mouse.

Keyboard Controls

Orbit: Up, Down, Left and Right arrows.

Panning: Hold the Shift key and use the Up, Down, Left and Right arrows.

Zoom:  currently not implemented.