The tomb of Payava

Upper part of Payava's tomb in the British Museum
Interactive map of The tomb of Payava
Location	OriginallyXanthos,Lycia,Persian Empire (modern-dayKınık, Kaş,Turkey; nowBritish Museum, Room 20
Type	Barrel-vaulted sarcophagus
Material	Stone
Height	3.5 metres (11 ft), originally 7.85 metres (25.8 ft)[1]
Completion date	375-360 BC

TheTomb of Payava is aLycian tall rectangular free-standing barrel-vaulted stonesarcophagus, and one of the most famoustombs of Xanthos. It was built in theAchaemenid Persian Empire,^[2] for Payava, who was probably the ruler ofXanthos, Lycia (modern-dayKınık, Kaş,Turkey) at the time, in around 360 BC. The tomb was discovered in 1838 and brought to England in 1844 by the explorerSir Charles Fellows. He described it as a 'Gothic-formed Horse Tomb'.^[3] According to Melanie Michailidis, though bearing a "Greek appearance", the Tomb of Payava, theHarpy Tomb and theNereid Monument were built according to the mainZoroastrian criteria "by being composed of thick stone, raised on plinths off the ground, and having single windowless chambers".^[4]

Payava, who is named in the inscriptions, is only known from this tomb. The tomb is a particularly fine example^[5] of a common Lycian style, carved from stone but accurately depicting a wooden structure.^[6]

Three of the four tiers of the tomb are currently housed in theBritish Museum where they dominate the centre of room 20, the lowest tier was left in Turkey and is in a poor state.^[7] Displayed with the tomb are otherGreek andLycian objects from 400 to 325 BC.

• 
  Reconstruction drawing of the Payava tomb byViollet-le-Duc.
• 
  Original base of the Payava sarcophagus (front view).^[8]
• 
  Original base of the Payava sarcophagus (back view).^[9]
• 
  Side view of the tomb.
• 
  A rock-cut equivalent from Lycia.
• 
  Similar Lycian tomb inKaş.

The reliefs contain illustrations of various events of the life of Payava.^[10] The carvedfriezes on the tomb and its roof containGreek andPersian features, showing the mix of influences in Xanthos at that time^[11] and show:

• Two long-haired and bearded men clothed incuirasses and cloaks, one of whom may be Payava (South side). — TheLycian inscription runs: “Payava, son of Ed[...], acquired [this grave] in the sacred [burial] area of the acropolis(?) ofA[rttumba]ra (a Lycian ruler), when Lycia saw(?) S[alas](??) [as governor(?)]. This tomb I [= Payava] made, a 10 yeariti (project?), by means of Xanthianahamas.”.^[12]
• An athlete and companion dressed in aGreek style (North side).
• A seated figure, in a Median coat receiving a delegation. Possibly thesatrapAutophradates receiving Payava (West side).^[1] — The Lycian inscription says: "Thisxruwata [bowl?] gave to him Autophradates (Wataprdata), the Persian satrap, on(?) the acropolis (?) he received the Lycian (and)ma[naxi(?)]"
• Battle of cavalry and foot soldiers (East side and Upper frieze). — The Lycian inscription says: "Payava themanaxi built this building."
• A bear being hunted (Upper frieze).
• Lions (Roof).
• Sphinxes (Pediments).
• Four horses pulling a Greekchariot (Roof). Same inscription as on the east side: "Payava themanaxi built this building."
• A Persian couple (Gable ends).

• 
  Tomb of Payava, roof relief
• 
  Tomb of Payava, east side
• 
  Tomb of Payava, south side
• 
  Tomb of Payava, west side
• 
  Tomb of Payava, south end
• 
  Tomb of Payava, north side of frieze
• 
  Tomb of Payava, north end
• 
  Tomb of Payava, east side.Peltasts fighting Payava on his horse.

Lycian Tomb of Payava (left, dated 375-360 BCE) andLomas Rishi cave entrance (right, dated circa 250 BCE).

Ajanta Cave 9 (dated 1st century BCE)

The similarity of the Payava tomb, and more generally the Lycian barrel-vaulted tombs of the 4th century BCE, with the IndianChaitya architectural design (starting from circa 250 BCE with theLomas Rishi caves in theBarabar caves group) has also been remarked on.James Fergusson, in his" Illustrated Handbook of Architecture", while describing the very progressive evolution from wooden architecture to stone architecture in various ancient civilizations, has commented that "In India, the form and construction of the older Buddhist temples resemble so singularly these examples in Lycia".^[13]Ananda Coomaraswamy and others also noted that "Lydian excavated and monolithic tombs at Pinara and Xanthos on the south coast of Asia Minor present some analogy with the early Indian rock-cut caitya-halls", one of many common elements between Early Indian and Western Asiatic art.^[14][15][16] The designs of the Lycian rock-cut tombs were quite advanced from an early period, and it is likely that they travelled to India from the trade routes,^[17] or that both traditions derived from a common ancestral source.^[18]

The Lycian tombs, dated to the 4th century BCE, are either free-standing or rock-cut barrel-vaulted sarcophagi, placed on a high base, with architectural features carved in stone to imitate wooden structures. There arenumerous rock-cut equivalents to the free-standing structures. Both Greek and Persian influences can be seen in the reliefs sculpted on the sarcophagus.^[19] The structural similarities, down to many architectural details, with theChaitya-type Indian Buddhist temple designs, such as the "same pointed form of roof, with a ridge", are further developed inThe cave temples of India.^[20] Fergusson went on to suggest an "Indian connection", and some form of cultural transfer across theAchaemenid Empire.^[21] Overall, the ancient transfer of Lycian designs for rock-cut monuments to India is considered as "quite likely".^[17]

The known Indian designs for the Chaityas only start from circa 250 BCE with theLomas Rishi caves in theBarabar caves group, and therefore postdate the Xanthos barrel-vaulted tombs by at least one century.^[22] The Achaemenids occupied the northwestern parts of India from circa 515 BCE to 323 BCE following theAchaemenid conquest of the Indus Valley, before they were replaced with theIndian campaign of Alexander the Great and subsequentHellenistic influence in the region.

Anthropologist David Napier has also proposed a reverse relationship, claiming that the Payava tomb was a descendant of an ancient South Asian style, and that Payava may actually have been aGraeco-Indian named "Pallava".^[23]

• Dusinberre, Elspeth R.M. (2013).Empire, Authority, and Autonomy in Achaemenid Anatolia. Cambridge University Press.ISBN 978-1107018266.
• Michailidis, Melanie (2009). "Empty Graves: The Tomb Towers of Northern Iran". In Gacek, Tomasz; Pstrusińska, Jadwiga (eds.).Proceedings of the Ninth Conference of the European Society for Central Asian Studies. Cambridge Scholars Publishing.ISBN 978-1443815024.
• British Museum information board in room 20

Wikimedia Commons has media related toTomb of Payava.

• L. Allen, The Persian Empire: A History (London, British Museum Press, 2005)
• M. Caygill, The British Museum A-Z companion (London, The British Museum Press, 1999)
• E. Slatter, Xanthus: Travels of Discovery in Turkey (London, Rubicon Press, 1994)
• A.H. Smith, A Catalogue of Sculpture in the Department of Greek and Roman Antiquities, British Museum Vol. 2 (London, British Museum, 1900)

• Lycia
• Ancient Greek and Roman sculptures in the British Museum
• Sarcophagi
• Archaeology of the Achaemenid Empire
• 1838 archaeological discoveries
• 1838 in the Ottoman Empire
• Zoroastrianism
• Achaemenid Anatolia
• Findings in Turkey outside Turkey

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