The tombstone depicts a woman reclining on a kline (couch). The feet of the bed are replaced with Egyptian symbols that refer to Isis (the Isis knot) and Osiris (the djed pillar). The god Anubis stands beside the woman, holding a cup.
The Greek inscription not only names the deceased, but also characterises her. Taschinis loved her children (philoteknos), and died early (aoros); she harmed no one, and is also safe from harm (the word alypos means both).
As the tombstone attests, Taschinis was both Greek and Egyptian.
Material analyses conducted by Danielle Decrouez (Geneva, Museum of Natural History) and Karl Ramseyer (University of Bern, Institute of Geological Sciences) have shown that the stela was made of Egyptian limestone. Click here for the detailed results.
