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Sandstone lion from Altar of Cybele, Pactolus North. (©Archaeological Exploration of Sardis/President and Fellows of Harvard College) -
Sandstone Lion from Altar of Cybele, Pactolus North
The Lydians and their World
(2010)
Cat. 13
- Date
- Ca. 570-560 BC, Lydian
- Museum
- Manisa, Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum, 5782
- Museum Inventory No.
- 5782
- Sardis or Museum Inv. No.
- S67.032
- Material
- Sandstone, Stone
- Object Type
- Sculpture
- Sculpture Type
- Animal
- Site
- Sardis
- Sector
- PN
- Trench
- PN
- Locus
- PN Locus Cybele Altar
- B-Grid Coordinates
- W266 / S339 *87.25 - 87.00
- Description
- One of two and one-half sandstone lion sculptures that were set up on the corners of the Altar of Cybele in the gold refining area at Sardis (Sector PN; see Greenewalt, “Gold and Silver Refining”). Lion on low plinth, open roaring mouth showing tongue and teeth. Eyes not preserved. Fragile, burned, and eroded. Height 0.34 m, length 0.485 m, width 0.22 m.
- Comments
- The two and one-half lions are all that remains of presumably four lions, which belonged to the first phase of the altar. This lion was built into the southeast corner. In a subsequent phase, the altar was built over and the lions built into the later walls. The lions are presumably placed on the altar because they were sacred to Cybele, the goddess to whom the altar was dedicated.
- See Also
- Greenewalt, “Gods of Lydia”; Greenewalt, “Gold and Silver Refining”. See also: R2 Cat. 28
- Bibliography
- Hanfmann and Ramage 1978, no. 28.
- Author
- NDC