in ▁made ▁its ▁first ▁appearance ▁during ▁this ▁time . ▁Made ▁of ▁wood ▁or ▁cart onn age , ▁the ▁coff in ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁shape ▁of ▁a ▁body ▁wrapped ▁in ▁lin en , ▁we aring ▁a ▁be aded ▁col lar ▁and ▁a ▁fun er ary ▁mask . ▁ ▁There ▁were ▁also ▁changes ▁to ▁the ▁art ▁form ▁of ▁st ela e ▁in ▁the ▁Middle ▁Kingdom . ▁During ▁this ▁time , ▁round - to pped ▁st ela e ▁developed ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁rect angular ▁form ▁of ▁previous ▁periods . ▁Many ▁examples ▁of ▁both ▁of ▁these ▁types ▁come ▁from ▁this ▁period ; ▁exc av ation ▁at ▁A by d os ▁yield ed ▁over ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁private ▁st ela e , ▁r anging ▁from ▁excellent ▁works ▁to ▁cru de ▁objects , ▁although ▁very ▁few ▁belonged ▁to ▁the ▁el ite . ▁Additionally , ▁classic ▁royal ▁comm emor ative ▁st ela e ▁were ▁first ▁found ▁in ▁this ▁period . ▁These ▁took ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁a ▁round - to pped ▁st ela e , ▁and ▁they ▁were ▁used ▁to ▁mark ▁boundaries . ▁For ▁example , ▁Sen us ret ▁III ▁used ▁them ▁to ▁mark ▁the ▁boundary ▁between ▁Egypt ▁and ▁N ub ia . ▁Because ▁of ▁the ▁prosper ity ▁of ▁this ▁period , ▁the ▁lower ▁el ite ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁commission ▁stat ues ▁and ▁st ela e ▁for ▁themselves , ▁although ▁these ▁were ▁of ▁poor er ▁art istic ▁quality . ▁Those ▁who ▁commission ed ▁non - ro yal ▁st ela e ▁had ▁the ▁ult imate ▁goal ▁of ▁et ernal ▁existence