King Midas Phrygian Archaeology from Gordion Citadel Central Turkey
Rodney Young’s excavation for
the University of Pennsylvania in 1957 caused a sensation when
after excavating the massive mound raised outside the citadel at
Gordion, Central Turkey he claimed to have found the tomb of the
legendary King Midas who died around 718BC. This tomb was stuffed
with furniture, bronze and textiles but no Midas Gold!
The ruler was buried exactly as he was originally laid down by his people. Until recent technological innovation it has been difficult to make much of such perishable remains. Patrick McGovern, a senior scientist at the University of Pennsylvania has named a new science - ‘Molecular Archaeology’ which has harnesses techniques from analytic chemistry and molecular biology. Using these methods he has gone about identifying the desiccated leftovers of the Midas funeral feast and published the menu of the meal in the journal Nature down to the detail of the ingredients of the punch and meat spices. He is quoted as saying “These techniques make it possible to figure out what people were really doing,the kinds of clothing they wore, the kinds of buildings they put up and the food and drink they enjoyed”. Although in 1957 the methods of chemical analysis were in their infancy samples were sent to Pennsylvania and the food samples were said to be in pottery vessels.*
Such results can be obtained economically from existing samples in Museum collections without the need to further disturb archaeological sites.
Unlike the Egyptians the Phrygians left no record of their leaders. We only know of Midas from Greek history and fables such as the famous story of the Golden Touch . These accounts originate from the time Greek Colonists who colonised the region they called Ionia (Anatolia) from the 8th cent.BC
One wonders if the University of Pennsylvania has textile samples and if there might be similar material from this or other excavations to work on. Since it was this site that gave the expression ‘Gordion Knot’ perhaps (rather than after the town Ghiordes in W. Anatolia) and the subsequent adoption of the term for the technical description of the symmetrical Turkish Knot in carpet making. Any evidence offered up here might be significant textile and carpet history in the very region in which sheep and goat husbandry as we know it developed which probably gave rise to the expression Golden Fleece.
* basic information taken from an article ‘Midas mystery clue served up on a plate’ by John Fleischman
The Guardian Newspaper. 13 Jan. 2001
Clive Rogers
The ruler was buried exactly as he was originally laid down by his people. Until recent technological innovation it has been difficult to make much of such perishable remains. Patrick McGovern, a senior scientist at the University of Pennsylvania has named a new science - ‘Molecular Archaeology’ which has harnesses techniques from analytic chemistry and molecular biology. Using these methods he has gone about identifying the desiccated leftovers of the Midas funeral feast and published the menu of the meal in the journal Nature down to the detail of the ingredients of the punch and meat spices. He is quoted as saying “These techniques make it possible to figure out what people were really doing,the kinds of clothing they wore, the kinds of buildings they put up and the food and drink they enjoyed”. Although in 1957 the methods of chemical analysis were in their infancy samples were sent to Pennsylvania and the food samples were said to be in pottery vessels.*
Such results can be obtained economically from existing samples in Museum collections without the need to further disturb archaeological sites.
Unlike the Egyptians the Phrygians left no record of their leaders. We only know of Midas from Greek history and fables such as the famous story of the Golden Touch . These accounts originate from the time Greek Colonists who colonised the region they called Ionia (Anatolia) from the 8th cent.BC
One wonders if the University of Pennsylvania has textile samples and if there might be similar material from this or other excavations to work on. Since it was this site that gave the expression ‘Gordion Knot’ perhaps (rather than after the town Ghiordes in W. Anatolia) and the subsequent adoption of the term for the technical description of the symmetrical Turkish Knot in carpet making. Any evidence offered up here might be significant textile and carpet history in the very region in which sheep and goat husbandry as we know it developed which probably gave rise to the expression Golden Fleece.
* basic information taken from an article ‘Midas mystery clue served up on a plate’ by John Fleischman
The Guardian Newspaper. 13 Jan. 2001
Clive Rogers