Event

Speaker: Brian Rose, James B. Pritchard Prof. of Mediterranean Archaeology, Univ. of Pennsylvania

Abstract: Excavations at the archaeological site of Gordion have been ongoing since 1950 under the auspices of the Penn Museum. The Citadel Mound was occupied for nearly 4,000 years, from the Early Bronze Age through the Medieval period, and the site featured at least 130 monumental burial mounds, one of which, that of King Midas' father, contains the oldest standing wooden building in the world. Recent fieldwork has focused on remote sensing with the goal of understanding the city plan; architectural conservation, especially the monumental Citadel Gate; and excavation on the southern side of the Citadel Mound, which has yielded a second monumental city gate and an elaborately decorated complex that probably housed the Gordian Knot cut by Alexander in 333. Gordion was recently inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list, the 20th site in Turkey to be so honored.