Latest news with #KingMidas
New York Post
23-06-2025
- General
- New York Post
Secret tomb linked to King Midas discovered — and it's oozing ‘a high level of wealth': scientists
It was a real goldmine. Archaeologists have discovered a 2,500-year-old tomb in Turkey that is potentially connected to King Midas — and contains rare artifacts and cremated remains of a high-ranking individual. 'Based on these artifacts, we estimate that the person in the tomb chamber may be a member of the royal family associated with Gordion and Midas,' Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, the Turkish minister of culture and tourism, announced at a news conference earlier this month, Live Science reported. Advertisement The excavations were carried out over four months by archaeologists with the Penn Museum in Philadelphia, PA and researchers with the Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University, The blinged-out burial ground, which dates back to the 8th century B.C., was discovered 60 miles west of the Turkish capital of Ankara in Gordion, the ancient capital of the Phrygian kingdom. 4 The Gordion dig site. 'The person buried here was not an ordinary person,' according to Yücel Şenyurt, co-director of the Gordion excavation. Penn Museum Advertisement This empire ruled over most of western and central Anatolia in the first millennium B.C, Fox News reported. Among the ancient civilization's most notable rulers was King Midas, who was depicted in Greek mythology as being able to turn anything he touched into gold — a parable against the dangers of unchecked greed. And while the real historical figure didn't literally gild items upon contact, he was likely no stranger to riches: There are reportedly 47 decadent burial mounds that have been excavated at Gordion. 4 An illustration showing the fictional King Midas accidentally turning his daughter to gold. Bettmann Archive Advertisement The latest one, Tumulus T-26, contained a wooden burial chamber brimming with a treasure trove of artifacts, including well-preserved iron tools and bronze implements. These 'attest to a high level of wealth,' according to C. Brian Rose, Gordion excavation co-director and an archaeologist at the University of Pennsylvania. 4 Researchers at the excavation site. Penn Museum Ersoy said they were the 'most concentrated group' of such artifacts after the hoard found in the previously-excavated Midas Mound, which contained a long coffin atop purple textiles that potentially housed a high-status official, possibly Midas' father Gordias. Advertisement In Tumulus T-26, archaeologists found cremated remains that were the oldest at the repository. 4 Aerial view of the ongoing excavations. Penn Museum 'What's really interesting is that it's a cremation burial,' said Rose, adding that 'this is the only example from the 8th century' at the site. This special treatment post-mortem 'clearly shows us that the person buried here was not an ordinary person,' according to Yücel Şenyurt, co-director of the Gordion excavation. Another factor that suggests a relation to King Midas was the tomb's proximity to the one where the golden ruler's father was likely interred. 'Royal tombs are often organized in clusters, so it seems likely that the newly excavated tombs belonged to his family,' C. Brian Rose told Fox News. Also notable were a pair of bronze cauldrons that were used to serve food at a funeral feast. While there was no food residue on said containers, archaeologists did find some 'from the funeral ceremony of Midas' father in 740 BCE,' according to Rose. Advertisement '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 said. Some even sported wax strips with the name of the owner, so these dishes could be easily found if they were put down. Despite excavating the Gordion repository for over 75 years, archaeologists have a long way to go before they finish excavating the myriad structures and settlements housed there.
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.
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Royal Tomb, Relics Belonging to Relative of King Midas Found in Turkey
Archaeologists have found a 2,800-year-old royal tomb located near King Midas's former home in Turkey, the country's news agency, Anadolu Ajansı, reported. Scientists excavating a site in Gordion discovered a royal tomb dating back to the eighth century B.C., which they believe belonged to one of King Midas's relatives. Within the tomb were dozens of rare relics as well as cremated human bones which belonged to an elite member of the ancient kingdom of Phrygia. "Based on these artifacts, we estimate that the person in the tomb chamber may be a member of the royal family associated with Gordion and Midas," Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, the Turkish minister of culture and tourism, said at a news conference on June 3. Gordion was the capital of the Phrygian kingdom, which reigned from 1200 to 675 B.C. The kingdom's first ruler, Gordias, was succeeded by his son, Midas, who, in mythology, can make anything he touches turn to archaeologists are somewhat baffled by Gordion's timeline, as it was occupied by so many different rules throughout its history. The largest tomb discovered at the site is known as the 'Midas Mound' and was erected around 740 B.C. to bury a high-status member of the society, potentially Gordias himself. The most recently discovered tomb is the 47th mound excavated at the site (out of 120 total mounds) and features the oldest cremation yet found at the site. "This shows the burial customs of the Phrygians," said archaeologist Yücel Şenyurt, co-director of the Gordion excavation. He added that the find "clearly shows us that the person buried here was not an ordinary person." Further analysis of the remains and the relic discovered within the tomb will hopefully identify the deceased's remains , as well as details of their life before Tomb, Relics Belonging to Relative of King Midas Found in Turkey first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 15, 2025
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.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Archeologists uncover royal tomb tied to the real King Midas
King Midas is the stuff of legend. Ancient Greek tales tell of a Phrygian ruler granted the power to turn everything he touched into gold. No monarch ever actually possessed a divine touch (or donkey ears), but historical records indicate at least two men with the name Midas oversaw the Phrygian kingdom during the first millennium BCE. In 1957, archeologists discovered a royal tomb (also known as a tumulus) at the site of Gordion, Phrygia's ancient capital located about 60 miles southwest of Ankara, Turkey. Analysis later showed the grave dated to around 740 BCE and held the remains of a man believed to be the father of the first King Midas. Years of subsequent excavations at Gordion have yielded remarkable finds, including the oldest known standing wooden building, the earliest colored stone mosaics, and even a gilded ivory sphinx royal statue. According to Penn Museum researchers in collaboration with the Turkish government, archeologists have found yet another stunningly preserved royal tomb chamber dating to around 750 BCE. And like the one uncovered nearly 70 years ago, this tumulus may have ties to Midas himself—and could revise our understanding of the kingdom's ancient burial practices. In 2024, researchers, including archeologist Yücel Şenyurt from Ankara's Haci Bayram Veli University, located the latest of the 130 mounds surrounding the Gordion citadel by using remote sensing magnetic prospection equipment. The team then spent four months excavating a massive 21-foot-tall by 196-foot-wide wooden burial chamber. Designated Tumulus T-26, the space remained impressively well-preserved for thousands of years despite a collapsed roof, and shows no signs of grave robbing. Objects inside the tumulus included a number of relics associated with royal banquets such as bronze cauldrons, jugs, and bowls, as well as additional iron tools. These items were frequently used to serve food and wine during funeral feasts, with many of the vessels still possessing traces of adhering textiles—an artisanal flourish associated with luxury crafting. Arguably the most striking discovery at T-26 was its interred remains. Instead of skeletal fragments, archeologists found evidence of cremation—a process believed to have popularized at Gordion over a 100 years later. 'The excavation of these tumuli has yielded a wealth of information about the lives of Gordion's rulers and their associates,' C. Brian Rose, Gordion Excavation Director and Curator-in-Charge of the Penn Museum's Mediterranean Section, said in a statement. '… [W]e now know that cremation among the elite was practiced over a century earlier than we thought it was. Moreover, the traces of textiles on the vessels provide evidence for one of Gordion's most important industries.' It's still unclear if Tumulus T-26 belonged to King Midas himself. But even without a solid gold tomb, its dating and proximity at the very least strongly suggests a direct link to his dynasty.
