Page:History of Art in Phrygia, Lydia, Caria and Lycia.djvu/280

 264 HISTORY OF ART IN ANTIQUITY. The situation of the vault is fifty metres south-west from the centre. The walls are built of large blocks of grey marble, smoothed over and finely cut, and held together by leaden dove- tails (Fig. 1 60). But right at the top, beneath the ceiling, runs a band, forming a kind of frieze, which was left in the rough. After the deposition of the body, the door was closed with marble slabs, smoothed away at the edges, whilst the rest is rough-cut (Fig. 161). In front of the door is a passage, which was entered o "T~ - V FIG. 161. Doorway. Inner view of vault. Von Olfers, Plate IV. from the south, looking towards Sardes (Fig. 162). Its walls are of square blocks of the same marble ; they appear channelled, and contrast with the plain faces and framing, scarcely touched by the chisel. As soon as the vault was closed, huge stones were rolled and heaped against it, the better to block the pas- sage. The roof is arched, but the vault, though mediocre, has not moved. The covering of the mortuary chamber consisted of horizontal slabs, some of which have been displaced by earth- quakes. No trace of the sarcophagus was found ; it doubtless was of wood, and destroyed by the first treasure-finders. On the other hand, numerous fragments of vases of Oriental alabaster