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Fox News
23-06-2025
- General
- Fox News
Archaeologists discover untouched tomb linked to King Midas' dynasty: 'High level of wealth'
A tomb likely linked to the family of King Midas was recently uncovered in Turkey — offering more details about life during the reign of the legendary leader. The discovery was made at the Gordion archaeological site some 60 miles southwest of the Turkish capital of Ankara. The royal tomb dates to the 8th century B.C. and was found after a grueling four months of excavating. Gordion was the capital of the Phrygian kingdom, which controlled most of western and central Anatolia in the first millennium B.C. Its most famous king is King Midas, the ruler known for his "golden touch." He controlled the kingdom between 740 and 700 B.C. With the burial chamber dating back to 750 B.C., evidence suggests the new discovery belonged to his family. University of Pennsylvania professor C. Brian Rose, who directs excavations at the site, spoke with Fox News Digital about the recent discovery. The tomb, dubbed Tumulus T-26, contained a great display of wealth, including various well-preserved bronze objects and iron tools, said the historian. Interestingly, the remains of the decedent were also cremated. "Royal tombs are often organized in clusters, so it seems likely that the newly excavated tombs belonged to his family." Rose said the bronze vessels "attest to a high level of wealth," on top of the tomb's proximity to the burial mound of Midas' father. "Royal tombs are often organized in clusters, so it seems likely that the newly excavated tombs belonged to his family," he said. Miraculously, the royal chamber was untouched by burglars, so several artifacts were still intact. A notable find was a pair of large bronze cauldrons that were used to serve food and drink during a funeral feast. Rose said that although no food residue was found on the vessels, previous discoveries at the site have shed light on what ancient Phrygians ate. "There was surviving food residue from the funeral ceremony of Midas' father in 740 BCE," he noted. "We therefore know that they served a spicy lentil and barbecued sheep or goat stew that was washed down with an alcoholic beverage – a mixture of grape wine, barley beer and honey mead." He added, "Some of the vessels had wax strips applied to their sides and the name of the owner was written. If you put your bowl down, you could easily find it again." The recent find follows others made at the same archaeological site. Archaeologists previously found a burial named Tumulus T-52, which housed over 3,000 amber beads. While the bronze objects in Tumulus T-26 indicate wealth, Rose said the discovery of the beads in Tumulus T-52 was unprecedented. "This constitutes one of the largest assemblages of amber found anywhere in the ancient world, and scientific testing shows that it was imported from the Baltic," he noted. "This is the kind of feature that one would expect in a royal assemblage, and the discovery supplies welcome information regarding the long-distance trade networks to which Gordion was connected." Archaeologists across the world uncover an untold number of ancient tombs every year – and some are lucky enough to find well-preserved artifacts, too. Last month, Egyptian officials announced the discovery of several high-ranking Ancient Egyptian officials' tombs. In Syria, a contractor recently stumbled across an expensive Christian tomb complex dating back to the Byzantine Empire.
Indianapolis Star
13-06-2025
- Science
- Indianapolis Star
Archeologists discover 2,500-year-old Midas dynasty tomb in Turkey
A 2,500-year-old royal tomb has been discovered by archeologists at the site of an ancient city in Turkey. After four months of excavations, Penn Museum and Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University archeologists discovered a well-preserved royal tomb chamber that dates back to 8th century BCE (800 to 701 BCE). The tomb's roof was collapsed, but objects inside remained intact, including bronze vessels used during banquets, iron rods, a pair of large bronze cauldrons and assorted smaller bronze cauldrons, jugs and bowls, according to a news release. The tomb was discovered at the archeological site of Gordion, the capital of the Phrygian kingdom, which controlled much of Asia Minor during the first millennium BCE, Gordion Excavation Director C. Brian Rose said in a news release. Gordion is located in northwest Turkey, about 60 miles southwest of Turkey's capital Ankara. At one time, Gordion was ruled by King Midas, famously known for his "golden touch." Archeologists believe that the newly-discovered tomb may have belonged to a member of the Midas dynasty. Iron Age archaeological find: British 'bling' from 2,000 years ago included horse harnesses Archeologists used magnetic prospection technology to find the tomb, a news release states. This geophysical method uses variations in Earth's magnetic field to identify objects below the surface, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. To archeologists' surprise, the tomb indicated a cremated burial. Up until this latest excavation, researchers believed the first cremation to occur in Gordion was more than 100 years later. Vessels inside the tomb also featured textiles adhered to their exterior, which indicate that textiles were an important industry in Gordion, Rose said in a news release. 3,000-year-old Mayan city unearthed: Why it's named 'The Grandparents' The tomb was located near and appeared like the Midas Mound tomb, which is believed to have housed the body of King Midas' father. The Gordion site has proved fruitful for archeologists for 75 years, since Penn Museum began leading excavations there in 1950. Previous excavations included the oldest wooden building in the world, dating back to 740 BCE. Others include the earliest colored stone mosaics found in Gordion, the best-preserved citadel gate of the first millennium and a gilded ivory sphinx of the 6th century BCE, according to a news release.
The Herald Scotland
13-06-2025
- Science
- The Herald Scotland
2,500-year-old royal tomb from Midas dynasty discovered in Turkey
The tomb was discovered at the archeological site of Gordion, the capital of the Phrygian kingdom, which controlled much of Asia Minor during the first millennium BCE, Gordion Excavation Director C. Brian Rose said in a news release. Gordion is located in northwest Turkey, about 60 miles southwest of Turkey's capital Ankara. At one time, Gordion was ruled by King Midas, famously known for his "golden touch." Archeologists believe that the newly-discovered tomb may have belonged to a member of the Midas dynasty. Iron Age archaeological find: British 'bling' from 2,000 years ago included horse harnesses Archeologists used magnetic prospection technology to find the tomb, a news release states. This geophysical method uses variations in Earth's magnetic field to identify objects below the surface, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. To archeologists' surprise, the tomb indicated a cremated burial. Up until this latest excavation, researchers believed the first cremation to occur in Gordion was more than 100 years later. Vessels inside the tomb also featured textiles adhered to their exterior, which indicate that textiles were an important industry in Gordion, Rose said in a news release. 3,000-year-old Mayan city unearthed: Why it's named 'The Grandparents' The tomb was located near and appeared like the Midas Mound tomb, which is believed to have housed the body of King Midas' father. The Gordion site has proved fruitful for archeologists for 75 years, since Penn Museum began leading excavations there in 1950. Previous excavations included the oldest wooden building in the world, dating back to 740 BCE. Others include the earliest colored stone mosaics found in Gordion, the best-preserved citadel gate of the first millennium and a gilded ivory sphinx of the 6th century BCE, according to a news release. Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@
