The spectacular burial tumuli at Gordion (Turkey), the capital of ancient Phrygia and seat of the legendary (but historical) King Midas of the Golden Touch, are presented in this lecture by CU's Elspeth Dusinberre. Its focus will be on the tombs dating from ca. 850-525 BCE, beginning with Gordion’s oldest burial tumuli and then look at the largest, the so-called Midas Monument, before exploring the last century or so of tumulus construction. The later tombs display radical changes that reflect Gordion’s complex and shifting society and illuminate issues of power structures and display, gender, burial customs, afterlife beliefs in ancient Phrygia.

Join us live in Paleontology Hall or via Zoom!