The furniture from Tumulus MM / / Elizabeth Simpson ; with contributions by Harry Alden [and eleven others].

• Superior document: Gordion Wooden Objects ; Volume 1
• VerfasserIn: Simpson, Elizabeth, 1947-
• TeilnehmendeR: Alden, Harry,
• Place / Publishing House: Leiden, The Netherlands ;, Boston, Massachusetts : : Brill,, 2010.; ©2010
• Year of Publication: 2010
• Language: English
• Series: Gordion wooden objects ; Volume 1.; Culture and history of the ancient Near East ; Volume 32.1.
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (602 p.)
• Notes: A two-vol. set. First volume is text; second volume is illustrations.

The Furniture from Tumulus MM , The Gordion Wooden Objects, volume 1, is a study of the furniture from the largest tomb at Gordion, Turkey, excavated in 1957 by the University of Pennsylvania Museum. The tomb dates to the eighth century BC and is thought to be the burial of the great Phrygian king Midas or his father. The objects, initially misunderstood, are now identified as nine tables, two serving stands, two stools, a chair, and an open log coffin. Three pieces are ornately carved and inlaid with religious symbols and complex geometric motifs. The wooden objects from Gordion are now recognized as the most important collection of well preserved wooden artifacts excavated from the Near East. Included in this volume are new photographs, reconstruction drawings, and eight scientific/technical appendices. Contributors include: Harry Alden, Burhan Aytuğ, Mary W. Ballard, Robert A. Blanchette, Roland Cunningham, Laure Dussubieux, Patrick E. McGovern, Benjamin Held, Walter Hopwood, Joseph Koles, Lynn E. Roller, Krysia Spirydowicz. \'...this work goes well beyond a typical site-specific object catalogue and makes important contributions to a wide range of scholarly fields, both technical and conceptual, from textile and wood analysis to anthropological and religious studies.\' Elizabeth P. Baughan, University of Richmond “The book succeeds in its main aims of making available every scrap of information about the finds, and it illuminates form, techniques, and function in a most convincing and stimulating manner.” Catherine M. Draycott, Courtauld Institute of Art

Table of Contents

Front Matter (Volume 1) -- Introduction -- Chapter One. The Excavation of Tumulus MM and the Contents of the Burial -- Chapter Two. Early Interpretations of the Furniture from Tumulus MM -- Chapter Three. The Inlaid Table -- Chapter Four. The Plain Tables -- Chapter Five. The Serving Stands -- Chapter Six. The Furniture from the Northeast Corner -- Chapter Seven. The Coffin -- Chapter Eight. Conclusions—The Burial of the King -- Appendix One. Conservation of the Wooden Furniture from Tumulus MM by Krysia Spirydowicz -- Appendix Two. Reconstruction of the Inlaid Table and Serving Stands for Display -- Appendix Three. Wood Species Analysis by Burhan Aytuğ , Robert A. Blanchette and Benjamin Held -- Appendix Four. Assessment of Wood Deterioration in the Furniture and Coffin from Tumulus MM by Robert A. Blanchette -- Appendix Five. Chemical Identification of the Beverage and Food Remains in Tumulus MM by Patrick McGovern -- Appendix Six. Graffiti on the Wooden Serving Stands from Tumulus MM by Lynn E. Roller -- Appendix Seven. Woodworking Tools and Techniques -- Appendix Eight. Preliminary Analyses of Textiles Associated with the Wooden Furniture from Tumulus MM by Mary W. Ballard , Harry Alden , Roland H. Cunningham , Walter Hopwood , Joseph Koles and Laure Dussubieux -- Appendix Nine. Concordance -- Bibliography -- Index -- Front Matter (Volume 2) -- Color Plates -- Figures -- Plates.