Program

Research Programs: Fellowships for College Teachers and Independent Scholars

Period of Performance

1/1/2011 - 8/31/2011

Funding Totals

$37,800.00 (approved)
$33,600.00 (awarded)


The Furniture and Wooden Artifacts from Tumulus P, Tumulus W, and the City Mound. The Gordion Wooden Objects, Volume 2

FAIN: FB-55781-11

Elizabeth Simpson
Bard College (Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504-9800)

The aim of this proposal is the preparation of the second and final volume on the wooden artifacts from Gordion, Turkey--a rare collection of Phrygian wooden furniture and household objects excavated by the University of Pennsylvania from the royal tombs and city mound (8th century BC). The first volume (Brill, 2010) features the spectacular furniture interred with King Midas or his father in Tumulus MM. The second volume will include the objects buried with a prince (Tumulus P) and an early king (Tumulus W), and finds from the royal residence (Megaron 3). The collection comprises 21 pieces of furniture, much of it carved and inlaid, and at least 50 wooden objects such as plates, spoons, a parasol, and 11 toy animals belonging to the prince. These are among the most important organic objects ever recovered from antiquity. Research, conservation, and reconstruction of the objects have been completed over the past five years, and I now wish to prepare the final volume for publication.