9.39 Phrygians in Anatolia

Map of Anatolia around 750 BC - source
wiki ningyou

The “dark ages” after the collapse of the Hittites led to a dearth of historic information about Anatolia. However, the Phrygians filled the vacuum in Central Anatolia moving south, possibly also from Macedonia, to rule the Central Anatolian Plateau from about 12^th to 7^th century BC. The Phrygians were great musicians and developed the “Phrygian scale”.

There were various types of Phrygian pottery; one was decorated with polychrome geometric designs, such as a chessboard pattern, lines, dots, zigzags and triangles together with running deer using brown or red paint on a buff or cream ground.

Phrygian vases, painted with handle and
large painted buff ware - source Museum
near Midas Tomb

Another type was monochrome in buff, grey or red.

Phrygian buff high handled vase - source
Museum near Midas Tomb

They were possibly linked to the pottery of North Syria. A vase in the shape of a pheasant on a circular foot with green and black geometric decoration on a pale ground is in the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations.

Phrygian pheasant jug - source Museum of
Anatolian Civilisations, Ankara

One Phrygian pottery characteristic was large, heavy handles sometimes decorated. Another, from around 800 BC, was the use of stamps to create patterns on the pottery, a trait shared with Thrace.

Phrygian sherds with stamped decoration
- source Museum near Midas Tomb

Of particular interest were the pottery oil lamps that were in the shape of a foot, fish or man’s head, and ceramic ceiling tiles with painted, relief decoration. The Phrygians also produced inscribed wares known as “graffiti pottery”. They also buried their dead in large terracotta pots.

Phrygian, pot burial - source Museum near
Midas Tomb

In about 730 BC the legendary king Midas ruled Phrygia, and had an alliance with the Lydians on their southern border. Midas was so rich the saying was that everything he touched turned to gold, hence “the Midas Touch”. In 709 BC it appears that Assyria had threatened Phrygia to the point where Midas had to submit to Assyrian supremacy.  At this time the Cimmerians were moving south driven by lack of food caused by climate change and probably Scythian pressure. In about 680 BC the Cimmerians swept past Assyria and through Anatolia, leading to Midas committing suicide in despair. The location of his tomb has been sought ever since as it is reputed to be filled with gold.