Gordium

Gordion (Greek: Γόρδιον ) was the capital of Phrygerreichs and was rediscovered in 1895 by the brothers Gustav and Alfred Korte. 1900 led these first excavations at the settlement mound and explored some tumulus tombs in the area. Since 1950, the Fund space is systematically excavated under the direction of archaeologists from the University of Pennsylvania.

Geography

Gordion is located about 80 km west-southwest of modern Ankara on river Sangarius (now Sakarya ), near the point where the Porsuk opens into this. Immediately at Gordion leads past the old King's Road, which was the latest in the Persian period, but probably built earlier. The upper town is built on a 40-70 meter high hill. Traces of the lower town were discovered during a survey mid 90s. This extended both east and west of the settlement mound, on the other side of the Sangarius. It has not been thoroughly investigated.

History

Breakfast time

The hill was inhabited in the Bronze Age, as some deep excavations found. This is followed by layers of the Early and Middle Bronze Age. In the Late Bronze Age Gordion belonged to the kingdom of the Hittites. Also, this period of the history of settlement of the hill is explored only sporadically. The finds have Hittite character. At the beginning of the 12th century BC Gordion was left apparently.

Mature phase

A short - probably lasted only a few decades - hiatus then followed by a re-colonization by new population whose ceramic has first partial parallel to the ceramic simultaneous layer VII b1 (second half 12th century BC ) of Troy. But there are also others which might be encountered old Anatolian elements with the new inhabitants. Hittite traditions in the early phase have been continued - To a lesser extent, it also - the findings are currently contradictory. Several layers of these early Iron Age settlement have been distinguished. This phase is then no cultural break into the älterphrygische colonization phase. Only this and the following phases have only been studied thoroughly.

In the phase älterphrygischen many magnificent buildings were erected in Megaron form. Prior to the main room, there was a semi- separate anteroom. A "palace" could not be identified, because none of these building stands out from its dimensions clearly from the rest off. Presumably, however, included all the buildings of the settlement mound to the ruler or county. Inside the houses were partly decorated very rich, some have had a proven floor. By älterphrygische upper town walls ran, whose function is not yet clear. Surrounded the upper town was by a mighty wall, the north gate is well researched. It is a bastion which has its strongest parallels in the fortifications of Troy VI. This is remarkable, since the establishment of the city parlous Gordions took place several centuries later than in the VI. City of Troy. Although the north gate Gordions has four phases and is the earliest for the 9th or 10th century. BC assumes missing temporal and spatial links between the attachment of Troy VI and Gordion. The Phrygian buildings were mostly constructed in a kind of half-timbered building: wooden beams supported stone walls and Lehmziegelaufsätze. A major project to reshape the upper city was right in the way when the älterphrygische Gordion was completely destroyed.

Until recent years, the research assumed that the älterprygische Gordion ended shortly after 700 BC. From Assyrian and Greek sources, it can be seen that the Cimmerians 697 or 676 BC were responsible for the destruction Gordions. With the conquest Gordions also Phrygerreich collapsed. Thus seemed assured until recently dating of the destruction layer in the early 7th century. New scientific datings have shown, however, that Gordion was already much earlier, destroyed around 800 BC.

Middle and late phase

After the destruction Gordions upper town was soon rebuilt. The destroyed buildings of älterphrygischen phase were artificially covered with an up to 10 m thick layer of debris, was built on the then new " mittelphrygische " Gordion. It is built where the älterphrygischen phase are very similar, sometimes they have even the same orientation. The transition from the mittelphrygischen (ca. 700-550 BC) to spätphrygischen phase (ca. 550-330 ) was without breakage. Gordion was the beginning of the spätphrygischen phase under Persian rule. On the settlement mound a Persian garrison to have been stationed.

Since the excavations long time concentrated on the study of older settlement phases, the Gordion Persian and Hellenistic period is poorly understood. In recent years, however, a number of Celtic artifacts have come to light, showing that Gordion had been settled in the Hellenistic period of Galatians. In Roman times Gordion became less important and was eventually abandoned and forgotten until it was rediscovered in the late 19th century.

Grabtumuli around

In the vicinity of Gordion there are over 100 tumuli, grave mound with body burials. Part they have great size and very rich grave goods. In the largest of these tumuli, which is also by far had the most grave goods, archaeologists found the skeleton of an approximately 60 - to 70 - year-old man. As for wood residues by dendrochronological investigations Fälldatum of about 718 was first determined BC, it was assumed that it could be around the grave of King Midas. This is known from both Assyrian and Greek sources. He is said to have committed suicide at the conquest Gordions. But recent studies suggest a slightly older date of the tomb. The Fälldatum Or a wax base, which was used to build the tomb, let be determined in 740 BC 7 / -3 years. It's probably more likely the grave of his predecessor, who was called after the Greek tradition Gordios. A reconstruction of the grave chamber is to visit the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara

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