Page:History of Art in Sardinia, Judæa, Syria and Asia Minor Vol 2.djvu/231

 HiTTiTE Monuments in Lycaonia. 213 dream of attributing this bas-relief to Assyrian hands ; not to speak of distinct features of the national costume — conical cap, short tunic, and curved boots — which have never been seen on bas-reliefs or cylinders of the Tigris valley expressly, as it were to remove doubt, if doubt were possible, characters are carved in front of the god and behind the priest, of the same nature as the inscribed stones at Hamath and Merash. Besides the two legends referred to, there is another text below the bas-relief, just above the present water-mark. A curious point about these hieroglyphs is this : that in the last line of the inscription relating to the god is the determinative prefix of a deity. Mr. Davis also heard of another inscription carved upon the solid rock on the summit of a hill, about midway between Bulgar Maden and Tshifteh Khan, of which no detailed account has come to hand. The inscription consists of five lines, much injured ; some of the characters however that have been copied show that it was Hittite.^ Within the last few years, monuments of undeniable Hittite origin have been signalled on the west of Lycaonia ; where once were important cities, such as Isauria, perched on the top of the loftiest ridge of the Taurus range, with the plain of Konieh, Iconium, extending away to other mountains ; with Laodicea Com- busta, Ladik, and Tryaeon Ilgun, and others of ancient fame. In the middle of a plain, somewhere between Ilgum and Yaila of Kosli-Tolu, rises a small artificial mound, out of which a calcareous tablet, 80 c. high, by i m. 79 c. in length, has been unearthed.^ One ^ Bulgar Maden is west-south-west of Ibreez, high up in the mountains, where the Ibiz Chai takes its rise. These indications are taken from Professor Sayce, " A Forgotten Empire" {Eraser's Magazine, August, 1880, pp. 223-233), where he refers to another Hittite monument, stated to exist by M. Calvert at Frahtin, not far from Ibreez. It is rock-cut, and portrays a large figure in tip-curved shoes and pointed cap, having on his left two worshippers much smaller, accompanied by Hittite signs. ^ I published this inscription in the Revue Archeologique (3" sdrie, 1885, tom. v. p. 262), from a copy of Dr. Maryan Sokolowski, Professor at the Cracow University. He formed part of the scientific expedition twice sent out at the expense of Count Charles Lanckoronski, for the express purpose of collecting materials towards an exhaustive description of Pamphylia. This having been achieved, the members extended their journey to Pisidia and Lycaonia; though brief, the visit was not barren of results. They have added one more text to the Hittite collection ; together with an excellent account and almost accurate drawing of the Eflatoun monument, which had not been visited since Hamilton. Mr. Ramsay repaired to the place in 1886. He sent me a copy of his drawing of the stone, which seems superior to Sokolowski's ; and it is to be hoped that it will ere long be given to the world.