Plants and mudbrick: preserving the Midas Tumulus at Gordian, Turkey

Naomi F. Miller, Kurt Bluemel
1999 Conservation and Management of Archaeological Sites  
Gordion was the capital of ancient Phrygia and reputed home of King Midas (c. 700 BC). Its monuments include the Midas Tumulus, nearly a hundred smaller burial mounds and the ancient city of Gordion itself. Agricultural development and the natural forces of wind and water erosion threaten the integrity of these mounds. In order to preserve the monuments, the Gordion Project is attempting to create a solid cover of grasses and flowers on the Midas Mound. Both archaeological conservation and the
more » ... reservation of biological diversity are served best by encouraging native plants to grow. To that end, a fence was erected in 1996, and lining the erosion .channels with unbaked mudbrick has proved a successful experiment.
doi:10.1179/135050399793138518 fatcat:j47xodgadnhojegbz3roifko7u