Death and Glory in the Land of King Midas of the Golden Touch

Dr. Beth Dusinberre (University of Colorado Boulder)

Of the 35 burial tumuli at the site of Gordion, capital of ancient Phrygia, 11 cover cremation burials. They date between 625 and 525 BCE, spanning some of the most turbulent times in the history of central Anatolia when Phrygians, Medes, Lydians, and eventually Persians were vying for political and military control of the area. How did these changes affect the lives and values of people living at Gordion? This talk explores the continuity in particular local traditions and the development of new ideas and expressions as shown through the spectacular mortuary remains of Gordion’s elite inhabitants.
Gold, ivory, bronze cauldrons, and horse sacrifice form only a part of the elaborate tale that emerges from these still-unpublished remains.