History and culture

The Lion of Knidos: reading a funerary monument online

Study the London museum object record and reconstruct the coastal setting of the original marble lion.

Ancient Knidos
Ancient KnidosTevfik Teker · CC BY-SA 4.0
IN THIS GUIDE

A monument above the sea

The British Museum describes a lion carved from one piece of marble, crowning a square tomb monument with a circular chamber. Picture the statue high above the coast to understand the scale of the sculpture in its original setting.

Look at the eyes

Zoom in on the empty eye sockets. The museum suggests they may once have contained coloured glass. Several dates have been proposed for the monument, so distinguish the catalogue’s interpretations from established observations.

YOUR NEXT DISCOVERY

Start with the part of Datça you're curious about.

A little inspiration: