The Funerary Stela of Maienhekau (ME Cat. 1459) - Epigraphic observations on a usurped monument of the reign of Thutmose III
A reused monument, carrying two histories.
The funerary stele of Maienhekau (ME Cat. 1459) was not originally made for him but carefully reworked to become his own. Large parts of the original decoration were erased and replaced, while others were adapted and incorporated into a new visual program.
What remains is a complex surface where these phases overlap - sometimes clearly, sometimes only in faint traces of relief and paint.
Through epigraphic drawing, these layers can be separated and read. Relief and paint were recorded on different layers, using line drawing to capture carving and greyscale textures to represent surviving pigment. Combined with high-resolution photography and a 3D model, this approach makes it possible to distinguish between the original and later phases while preserving the full complexity of the surface.
This article presents one of Krisztián Vértes’ final epigraphic works at Museo Egizio.
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