Talk:Harpy Tomb/GA1

GA Review
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Reviewer: Malleus Fatuorum 01:49, 8 May 2011 (UTC)


 * Lycian culture
 * "Lycian culture was at one time viewed as a branch of Greek culture ...". By whom?
 * added "by scholars".


 * "... especially from the Classical period onwards, when the architecture and sculpture where very much in the Classical Greek style." Apart from the obvious typo there, when the architecture and sculpture were very much in the Classical Greek style where? Everywhere? In Lycia?
 * Changed to "...when Lycian architecture and sculpture were..."


 * "He was succeeded by Kuprlli, and then Kheriga, who took an Iranian name and appeared to be pro-Persian. Following the conquest of the country by Alexander the Great rapid Hellenisation took place in Lycia and their culture became subsumed in the Greek." This seems to be telling us rather more than we need to know to understand the story of the Harpy Tomb. It's rather surprising to me in general that there's so little on the person whose tomb this is reckoned to be.
 * Perhaps, but it completes the narrative of external influences on Lycia and it is only a short passage. I am for keeping it (authors bias of course) but would give it up if it is the difference between GA pass and fail.  On Kybernis, the bottom line is that very little is known about any of the Lycian kings.  I have it on my project list to create a set of articles on the Lycian dynasty but the research is yet to be done and I have nothing that could be added at this time.


 * "However, the Ionian Greeks, neighbours of the Lycians, exerted Greek influence on Lycia." This whole paragraph seems to be rather awkwardly written.
 * What are you suggesting is to be done?


 * Mythology
 * I don't see the purpose of this section at all. What is it telling us about the Harpy Tomb?
 * Many of the interpretations of the reliefs have tried to do this in terms of Greek mythology. The intersections of Greek and Lycian mythology are particularly relevant to this, as is the deliberate attempts by the Lycians to "write themselves in" to Greek mythology.


 * Lycian sculpture
 * I'm puzzled by the first paragraph of this section. We've already had the Greek cultural influence on Lycia drummed into us, so what more do we learn by being told that some Greek pottery has been found there, and that some other tombs display a Greek influence?
 * Well we learn a date for one thing. I do not really see the problem in naming examples of Lycian sculpture in a background section on Lycian sculpture, I would think that is quite helpful.  I should also add that the entire "Lycian culture" section was added as a result of comments requesting it at Peer Review, I originally wrote the article without it.  I am at a loss to think of anything that could be more relevant in a background culture section for an article on a Lycian sculpture than a discussion of other Lycian sculptures.


 * "Xanthos has 43 monumental tombs of which 17 are sculptured and 35 are pillar tombs, usually to a high standard." To a high standard of what?
 * added "of workmanship"


 * "The Archaic Style introduces an element of realism that will later be developed to its fullest in the later Classical Style ...". The future tense can't possibly be correct.
 * It is the correct tense to go with "introduces" but fixed by changing the tense of the whole sentence.


 * "Other well-known sculptures from Xanthos include the earlier Lion Tomb and the later Tomb of Payava and Nereid Monument." Once again, what is this telling the reader about the Harpy Tomb?
 * See comment above - background


 * Construction
 * "Each slab overlaps the ones below to form an entablature." But they aren't slabs, it's one slab carved to look like three.
 * added "false slab"


 * "All four sides are carved with similar relief panels and the body is inserted through a small opening on the south side." Those two ideas are unrelated and need to be separated, not run together.
 * done


 * Style
 * "The Lycian language, however, was not Greek: it is most closely related to, and probably descended from, Luwian." Is there writing on the reliefs? If not, why is this relevant? If there is, then why isn't it discussed?
 * Moved information to background section


 * Reliefs
 * It's rather striking how often pomengranates are mentioned in this section. What was the significance of pomegranates to the Lycians?
 * Yes, pomegranates are significant, they are a gift brought to a God or King-God. I'll put something in.


 * Removal of the sculptures
 * "To remove the sculptures of the Harpy Tomb, the capstone, which may have weighed as much as twenty tons ..." We've already been told, and apparently much more definitively in the Construction section, that the capstone weighed 15–20 tons.
 * I think the reader needs reminding that a considerable weight is being lifted. I would like to have phrased it as "the 20-ton capstone" but as you say, that would not strictly be accurate.


 * Images
 * I think that the lead image of the reliefs ought to be swapped for the much more impressive File:Entrance into theatre of Xanthos.jpg and moved to the Reliefs section.
 * agreed
 *  Sp in ni ng  Spark  10:02, 8 May 2011 (UTC)