Ladbible X Whatsapp
  • iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

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

Home> News> World News

Published 14:53 11 Jun 2025 GMT+1

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

Who lies beneath Gordion? An ancient tomb has sparked a debate

Kegan Marquez

Kegan Marquez

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.

Advert

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)
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.

Advert

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)
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'.

Advert

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.

Featured Image Credit: Ali Atmaca/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Topics: History, Archaeology, World News

Kegan Marquez
Kegan Marquez

Kegan is a freelance writer with a passion for everything tech and gaming. He has worked for global brands across the globe, including IGN, PCgamer, PCmag and many more. When he isn't working, Kegan spends most of his time playing video games, building and upgrading gaming PCs and looking for the next thing in tech to obsess about.

Advert

Advert

Advert

  • Archaeologists discover long lost tomb of Prussian Countess Julie von Voss in Berlin
  • Shocking Ancient Egypt burial shows gruesome act done to corpses after they die
  • Owner of Ancient Egyptian tomb finally identified 50 years after archaeologists' discovery
  • Archaeologists discover secrets of ancient Chinese kingdom after 2,000-year-old find

Choose your content:

2 hours ago
3 hours ago
  • 2 hours ago

    All areas where major tsunami is set to hit as Donald Trump issues warning to millions

    Numerous nations are preparing for the worst

    News
  • 2 hours ago

    Why Putin is ‘preparing to invade new country’ as Trump sets 10-day Ukraine deadline

    The US President has given the Russian a warning

    News
  • 3 hours ago

    Donald Trump issues urgent warning to millions as major tsunami set to hit

    The US President shared the message hours before the first waves were reported to have hit Hawaii

    News
  • 3 hours ago

    Donald Trump claims Jeffrey Epstein ‘stole’ Virginia Giuffre and others in shock revelation

    Trump and Epstein were once friends

    News