The Victory Stele of Amenhotep III, detail

The stele, an upright stone with a sculpted surface, was set up to illustrate King Amenhotep III (r. ca. 1391-1353 BC) victory over his enemies.

On this section, depicts two parallel scenes in which the king stands in his horse-drawn chariot. Above him the goddess Nekhbet spreads her protective wings and gives the signs of life, stability, and dominion. A quiver of arrows hangs on his back while a larger one is attached to the chariot. The contorted bodies of enemies overlap everywhere, one even hangs from the chariot.

The stele contains unique depictions of Amenhotep III as a warlike pharaoh. Since his reign was a largely peaceful period, the question is whether these scenes commemorate actual military victories of Amenhotep III or that they should be regarded as depicting purely symbolical victories.

Found at Kom el-Hettân by Flinders Petrie. Now in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo. JE 31409