King Midas and His Golden Touch at the Penn Museum

Biblical Archaeology Review ^ | Friday, January 15, 2016 | Robin Ngo

[SunkenCiv]

Everyone knows the story of King Midas and his golden touch. In Greco-Roman mythology, the Phrygian king Midas was offered anything he wished from Bacchus, the god of wine, for showing kindness to Bacchus's teacher, Silenus. Midas wished that everything he touched would turn to gold. While it amazed Midas that everything he then touched became gold -- from a twig to a husk of corn -- he soon discovered just how reckless his request was, for he could not eat or drink anything but gold (Ovid, Metamorphoses, XI:85-145).

The historical King Midas inspired this character in Classical mythology. King Midas ruled over a group of people known as the Phrygians in central Anatolia (modern Turkey). It was during the reign of Midas (c. 750-700 B.C.E.) that Phrygia reached the height of its wealth and power. Indeed, archaeological excavations at Gordion, the capital of Phrygia, revealed a massive citadel complex and a series of wealthy tombs dating to the reign of Midas. At the end of the eighth century, the citadel was destroyed in a major fire, possibly due to the invasion of the Cimmerians from the east.

Next month in Philadelphia, the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology will open the exhibit The Golden Age of King Midas. Objects from a spectacular tomb at Gordion believed to belong to King Gordios, Midas's father, will be on display, including large bronze cauldrons (likely used to hold beer), bronze drinking bowls and intricate bronze fibulae (ancient safety pins). Also included in the exhibit are funerary objects from other royal tombs and a late-ninth-century B.C.E. pebble mosaic floor (the oldest known in the world) from Gordion as well as dazzling artifacts from the neighboring Scythians, Lydians, Urartians, Assyrians and Persians.

[SunkenCiv]

Map of Anatolia

A goat jug from the burial chamber of a royal child excavated in 1956 (Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, Ankara, 12789c. Photographer: Ahmet Remzi Erdogan).

[SunkenCiv]

One of *those* topics:

• Archaeologists Uncover Massive Fortifications in Ancient City of King Midas [2014]
• 'Gate to Hell' guardians recovered in Turkey [2013]
• Yapi Kredi Museum exhibit explores Phrygian culture [2008]
• Greek sculpture 'from throne of Midas' [2002] [2007]
• King Midas' Modern Mourners [2004]
• Amazon Warrior Women [2004]
• Non-Attic Characters [2004]
• Chemistry Used to Unlock Secrets in Archeological Remains [2002]
• Archaeologists Find Celts in Unlikely Spot: Central Turkey [2001]
• Archaeologists Find Celts in Unlikely Spot: Central Turkey (Ellas Go Bragh!?) [2001]
• Archaeologists Find Celts in Unlikely Spot: Central Turkey [2001]
• So Who Is Buried in Midas's Tomb? [2001]
• Archaeologists Rewrite Timeline Of Bronze And Iron Ages, Alphabet [2001]

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[SunkenCiv]

this is the Phrygia/n/s + Gordion keywords, with the King/Midas topics out:

• New Indo-European Language Discovered [2012]
• Two tumuluses found in Turkey's ancient Daskyleion [2010]
• Bulgarian Archaeologists Uncover Treasure Of Thousands Of Golden Ornaments [2005]
• Burushaski [2004]

[SunkenCiv]

Additional images:

http://www.penn.museum/images/public_relations/2016/PressPreview.jpg
http://www.penn.museum/images/public_relations/2016/17-SilverPriest.jpg
http://www.penn.museum/images/public_relations/2016/03-Tombinterior.jpg
http://members.bib-arch.org/bswb_graphics/BSAO/04/06/BSAO040601403L.jpg
http://members.bib-arch.org/bswb_graphics/BSAO/04/06/BSAO040601400L.jpg
http://cdn.biblicalarchaeology.org/wp-content/uploads/tumulus-mm-objects.jpg
http://cdn.biblicalarchaeology.org/wp-content/uploads/gordion-tumulus-mm.jpg
http://cdn.biblicalarchaeology.org/wp-content/uploads/gordion-fibula.jpg

[grimalkin]

Wow! I’m there!

[pepsi_junkie]

For those in the Philadelphia area, if you haven’t been to the Penn Museum you really ought to go. You might imagine it’s nothing special but the Penn archaeology group is world renowned, particularly in egyptology. The only reason I went was because it was a dinner held by the university for new students in my grad program and I had low expectations. I was, however, blown away with the content of this museum. It’s really very good.

[SunkenCiv]

U of Penn is or was one of the top few places in the world for cuneiform and Assyriology, was well.

[Albion Wilde]

Ping!

[P.O.E.]

Opens Feb. 13 at Penn Museum. Seems like a good way to spend a winter day indoors

PA Ping!

If you see posts of interest to Pennsylvanians, please ping me.

Thanks!

Thanks Albion Wilde for the heads up

[MurrietaMadman]

*Ping!* Yer Golden!

Thanks

[pepsi_junkie]

By the way, if you go to a dinner there this is the setting. If you are a fan of ancient civilizations (and I know you in particular are) it's a pretty cool thing.

[SunkenCiv]

Nice!

[Cincinna]

Thanks Civ! So many of these myths have basis in reality. The exhibit sounds wonderful.

[SunkenCiv]

Lions Rock, Phrygian valley, Turkey:

https://scontent-ord1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xat1/v/t1.0-9/12647530_1109514435754926_9177109785132780430_n.jpg?oh=a67737f4584d303dbb742941f524dc3a&oe=5728AAAB