Xanthian Marbles

Sculptures found at Xanthus, principal city of ancient Lycia (Turkey), now in British Museum. The most remarkable ruins of the city are these huge rock-cut pillar tombs. British archaeologist Sir Charles Fellows sent reliefs and sections of the tombs to the British Museum in the 19th century. The figures are Assyrian in character, not later than 500 BC. Sieges, processions, and figures are shown in profile but with the eyes shown in full. Upon one of the remaining pillar tombs is the longest and most important of inscriptions in the Lycian language.

This collection of "marbles" (low-relief statuary) from various Greek temples and tombs in Asia Minor weas exhibited in the British Museum, courtesy of their owner, Charles Fellowes, and the British government, which paid for the shipping of the artefacts. The title "Xanthian Marbles" was somewhat misleading since the collection did not come exclusively from the region of Troy and the River Xanthus, but rather from Lycia, Lydia, Mysia, Bithynia, Phrygia, Pisidia, Pamphylia, and Caria.