Art and Architecture C- (Andrew Patin)

The axum empire did not develop a large amount of art or architecture. Most major architectural structures tend to be stelae and tombs. Stelae are large pillars of stone which were used as grave markers for royalty and local elites. Some stelae stood 33m high. They often had artistic carvings which would portray a building (right). This technique of having artistic carvings in the side of structures was also used on some tombs such as "The Mausoleum," which has a large door carved on it. Although several of these were constructed, very few of them naturally remained standing through modern times. The axumite empire did not have many signifigant aspects of creativity in there architecture, other than carving false buildings into the sides of stelae and tombs.
              I gave the Axum empire a "C" in art and architecture because art was not highly developed based on some architecturally inclined empires throughout history such as the egyptian. But, they still showed some artistic qualities with the stone carvings. Also, the Axum empire's stelae were arguably the most signifigant structre but they did not have many architectural structures that were built well enough to remain standing or be used today.