ABSTRACT
This chapter provides information on the tomb's wooden structure and describes conservation efforts to protect the tomb and prevent further structural damage. It discusses the conservation efforts from a structural engineering perspective. The tomb chamber in the Midas Mound at the ancient Phrygian capital of Gordion in central Turkey is the earliest known standing wooden building in the world. The archeologists initially installed shoring that included three wooden posts to prop the beams up the first preventative measure to conserve and protect the structure of the tomb chamber. The Midas Tomb chamber complex is one of the world's most unique timber structures. The tomb chamber created was 5.15 m by 6.20 m, almost twice the size of the second largest excavated wooden tomb chamber at Gordion. The removal of the lateral earth pressure on the tomb required specific structural stabilization. The timber tomb was constructed with corner joinery that relies on compression created by lateral earth pressure to maintain stability.
