Gordion
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)
Interest
Date Range
c. 950–200 BCE
Tumulus Height
~53 m (Midas Mound)
Tomb Date
c. 740 BCE (dendro)
Tumuli Count
100+
“Gordion is the key site for understanding Phrygian civilization, a major Anatolian power that bridged the gap between the collapse of the Hittite Empire and the rise of the Lydian and Persian empires.”
Gordion was the capital city of ancient Phrygia. It was located at the site of modern Yassıhöyük, about 70–80 km southwest of Ankara. The site is famous for the legend of the Gordian Knot and the monumental tumulus believed to be the tomb of King Midas.
read_wikipedia →overview
Gordion, located at modern Yassıhöyük in Ankara Province, was the capital of the Phrygian Kingdom from approximately the 9th to the 7th century BCE. The site includes a large settlement mound (the citadel), an extensive lower town, and over 100 burial tumuli. The largest tumulus, known as the "Midas Mound" or Tumulus MM, stands about 53 meters high and is one of the largest ancient burial mounds in Anatolia. When excavated in 1957 by Rodney Young of the University of Pennsylvania, it was found to contain a remarkably well-preserved wooden burial chamber with the remains of a man in his 60s, surrounded by elaborate wooden furniture and bronze vessels. Tree-ring dating places the tomb around 740 BCE. Gordion is also associated with the legend of the Gordian Knot — the prophecy that whoever untied the knot on an oxcart in the city would rule all of Asia. Alexander the Great famously dealt with it during his visit in 333 BCE.
why_it_matters
evidence
Distinguishing what is well-established from what remains debated.
confirmed
2- The wooden tomb chamber in Tumulus MM is one of the best-preserved Iron Age burials known.
- Dendrochronology dates the tomb to approximately 740 BCE.
inferred
1- The individual buried in Tumulus MM was likely a Phrygian king, possibly Midas' father Gordias.
debated
2- Whether the occupant of Tumulus MM is King Midas himself, his father Gordias, or another royal figure is debated.
- The cause of the major destruction level at Gordion (c. 800 BCE) — Cimmerian invasion, fire, or other event — remains contested.
excavation
Early German excavations
Led by Gustav & Alfred Körte
Gustav and Alfred Körte conducted the first archaeological work at Gordion.
University of Pennsylvania excavations
Led by Rodney S. Young / University of Pennsylvania
Rodney Young led major excavations including the opening of the Midas Mound tumulus in 1957.
Ongoing research
Led by University of Pennsylvania Museum
The Gordion Archaeological Project continues research at the site under various directors.
More Photos
Museum Artifacts
location
Related Sites
sources
- The Archaeology of Phrygian Gordion, Royal City of Midas — C. Brian Rose (2012)
- Gordion: The Midas Mound — Rodney S. Young (1981)