Archaeologists discover sealed burial chamber in ancient tomb dating back 2,800 years

Archaeologists working at Gordion, the ancient capital of Phrygia in central Turkey, have recently found an incredibly well-preserved wooden burial chamber.

It's believed that the tomb might be the burial chamber for a Phrygian royal family member, making it one of the more important finds in recent history.

The tomb - which is thought to date back to the 8th century BCE - was found within one of the region’s grandest burial mounds, and it's believed to be potentially connected to King Midas of legend.

King Midas is one of the most popular Phrygia kings, known in Greek mythology as the 'man with the golden touch', who could turn anything into gold.

The site in which the burial chamber was found has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2023. It is made up of wooden structures, all of which have collapsed over time, but the team were still able to recover more than 100 items.

The burial chamber sits next to the famous Midas Mound (Ali Atmaca/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

Among the recovered objects were cauldrons, incense burners, and ceremonial vessels - many of which have now been restored and on display at the Gordion Museum.

One of the most impressive finds was that of a 2,700-year-old bronze jug wrapped in linen.

The burial chamber is located next to the famous Midas Mound, which is believed to have been the burial site for King Midas' father, Gordias, although, initially, archaeologists thought the tomb belonged to Midas himself. However, dendrochronological studies of the timber show the logs were cut around 740 BC, which is before Midas’ reign. It's important to note that no inscriptions have been found to confirm the occupant’s identity.

Professor Yücel Şenyurt, of Turkey’s Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University, noted: “This burial is considered the first known case of cremation among the Phrygians. This represents a deviation from the common inhumation practices evident in the funerary rituals of the period.”

Tumulus Midas Mound was more than a burial site, it was a political and cultural statement. As the largest tumulus in the region, it showed royal power and influence.

While other regions built similar mounds, the Midas Mound remained a unique symbol of elite identity even after the fall of the Phrygian kingdom.

Conservation work is ongoing with the chamber expected to be on display later this year (Vikiçizer / Wikimedia Commons)

Turkey’s Culture and Tourism Minister, Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, recently held a press conference at the site, in which he described the find as Turkey's 'golden age of archaeology'.

The excavations efforts in the region have yielded vast amounts of archaeological finds in the past year, and as efforts continue, it's likely we will start to learn more about Midas, his Father Gordion, and the legacy they left behind.

While conservation work is ongoing, the burial chamber is expected to be on display at the Gordion Museum by the end of 2025.