 This monument, properly termed a stela (' or ' in the local Afroasiatic language) was carved and erected in the 4th century by subjects of the Kingdom of Aksum, an ancient civilization centered in the Ethiopian and Eritrean highlands.The stelae are thought to be "markers" for underground burial chambers.The largest grave markers were for royal burial chambers and were decorated with multi-story false windows and false doors; nobility would have smaller, less decorated stelae.