A wooden-structured burial chamber believed to belong to the Phrygian royal family has been uncovered in the ancient city of Gordion in Türkiye's capital, Ankara, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy announced Tuesday.
Speaking during a news conference at the archaeological site in Ankara’s Polatlı district, Ersoy said the 3.1-by-2.8-meter tomb was discovered in the T26 tumulus, the 47th burial mound excavated at Gordion. The chamber contained 88 metal artifacts, including large cauldrons and bronze vessels still hanging by iron nails from the tomb’s north and south walls.
"Based on these findings, we estimate the individual buried here was a member of the Phrygian royal family, possibly related to Gordios or Midas," Ersoy stated. He added that restoration and conservation work for the tomb and its contents is already underway, with plans to exhibit the chamber and artifacts in the Gordion Museum later this year.
Gordion, the ancient Phrygian capital, entered the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2023. The excavation’s latest phase is part of Türkiye’s “Legacy to the Future” project, which aims to preserve and promote the country’s rich archaeological heritage.
Ersoy emphasized that Türkiye has entered a “golden age of archaeology,” pointing to sweeping reforms including year-round excavations, the appointment of Turkish scholars to head international digs, and record levels of financial and logistical support.
“With our rational planning, we are achieving serious success that inspires us to take further steps,” he said. “It is deeply gratifying to witness the extraordinary progress made here in under a year.”
The newly unearthed items were transferred to the Ankara Regional Restoration and Conservation Laboratory under special conditions. Experts have since completed restoration work on 47 of the artifacts, which were brought to the Gordion Museum for exhibition.
The T26 find adds to Gordion’s legacy as a key site representing Phrygian identity, with its monumental architecture, destruction layers dated to 800 B.C., and elite burials.
Ersoy also praised the excavation leadership of Prof. Charles Brian Rose, who led the Gordion dig since 2013, and Prof. Yücel Şenyurt, who assumed the role in 2024. “The efforts of everyone involved in revealing this unique history are invaluable,” he said.
The minister highlighted the broader impact of the “Legacy to the Future” initiative, which expanded to 251 sites across Türkiye. Since the program’s October 2023 launch in Ephesus, it has generated employment for over 5,000 individuals and produced more than 6,000 archaeological finds in 2024 alone.
“Before, digs lasted just 45 to 60 days due to limited funding,” Ersoy explained. “Now, with proper resources, excavations continue year-round, even in underwater archaeology.”
He concluded by noting that recent reforms have made excavation and restoration possible in all four seasons, accelerating the development of Turkish archaeology and raising its international profile.
Following the news conference, Ersoy toured the artifacts from the T26 tumulus and visited the iconic Midas Tumulus on site.
The Midas Mound Tumulus, or burial mound, one of the key attractions in Gordion, was built by King Midas for his father and is the second biggest after the Alyattes tumulus in western Türkiye.
