Gordion tumulus identified as tomb of King Midas’ father

ANKARA

There are 130 registered tumuli in the Polatlı area and nearly 90 of them are in Gordion.

The discovery of a 3,200-year-old wooden tomb inside the ancient city of Gordion’s Midas Tumulus in Ankara’s Polatlı district provides significant evidence regarding the architectural artistry and mortuary traditions of the Phrygian civilization.

Although the tumulus has long been known as the Midas Tumulus, experts say it was actually built as the tomb of Gordias, the father of the legendary Phrygian King Midas.

Gordion, the capital of the Phrygian civilization, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2023.

The monumental tumulus stands 53 meters high and has a diameter of 300 meters. Inside it is a wooden burial chamber measuring 6.15 by 5.15 meters, constructed from juniper trees that have survived for around 3,200 years.

The tomb also yielded 99 fibulas, or brooches, highlighting the Phrygians’ advanced skills in metalworking.

Kadim Koç, chairman of the Gordion Foundation, said the area around Gordion was home to an unusually large number of burial mounds.

“There are 130 registered tumuli in the Polatlı area and nearly 90 of them are in Gordion,” Koç said. “The largest is the Midas Tumulus, which is the second-largest tumulus in the world. The largest one is also in Türkiye, a Lydian tumulus in Manisa.”

Koç said the tumulus was particularly significant because it contained a rare wooden burial chamber.
“This tumulus is 53 meters high and 300 meters in diameter. It has a unique feature. It is an excavated tumulus and contains a wooden tomb that is unique in the world,” he said.

Tomb belongs to Gordias

Koç said the association with Midas had persisted because of the king’s fame despite evidence that the tomb belonged to his father.

“When the tumulus was excavated in 1957 and the burial chamber was reached, the Ulus newspaper reported that the tomb of Gordias, the father of Midas, had been found and that Gordias’ skeleton had been discovered,” he said.

“However, Midas is such a famous figure of antiquity that his father could never take precedence over his son. Even today, although we explain that this is a tumulus built by Midas for his father and that it is his father’s tomb, people continue to know it as the Midas Tumulus because Midas’ colorful personality stands out.”

The artifacts discovered inside the tomb have also provided important information about Phrygian craftsmanship, Koç said.

“The finds showed that the Phrygians were among the world’s finest woodcarvers. They were also highly skilled in carpet weaving,” he said.

Referring to the bronze objects recovered from the burial chamber, Koç said Gordion was also an important center for the production of fibulas.

“This is the homeland of the fibula, or brooch. The first fibulas were produced here. Ninety-nine fibulas were found inside the tomb,” he said.

Koç said the survival of the juniper wood used in the burial chamber was particularly remarkable.

“When we look at it as a wooden structure, the tomb measures 6.15 by 5.15 meters. We can still see that the juniper trees have not decayed and have survived to the present day,” he said.

“By calculating the age of the juniper trees, we can see wood from nearly 3,200 years ago that has survived without deteriorating.”

The excavation, carried out in 1957 by a Turkish and an American scientist, used drilling techniques available at the time. Koç said the method caused some damage to the tomb and textile remains.

The burial chamber was eventually reached through an 82-meter-long tunnel excavated by miners brought from the Black Sea province of Zonguldak.

Koç also recounted local stories about the excavation, including an account that a child was lowered into the burial chamber through a small opening and became frightened after seeing the skeleton inside.

Some of the valuable objects discovered in the tumulus are displayed at the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, while other artifacts can be seen at the Gordion Museum.

With nearly 90 tumuli and a wealth of archaeological finds, Gordion provides important evidence about the Phrygian civilization. The ancient city was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2023 and remains one of Ankara’s most significant archaeological sites.