The gold myth surrounding King Midas

The legend of how Dionysus granted King Midas’ wish to turn everything he touched into gold is well-known and almost proverbial, highlighting the immense wealth of this Phrygian king who lived in the late 8^th century BC.

Strangely enough, archaeologists never were able to find much of that gold when excavating the site of Gordion and the surrounding area. So, was it all a myth?

Recently, scholars may have found a plausible answer when they investigated the clothes of Gordion’s elite population. Some of the fabrics used were coated with goethite, an iron-bearing hydroxide mineral found in the soil. A definite proof was found in the royal tomb attributed to Gordias, the father of King Midas. His shroud had been dyed with goethite, giving the impression that it was woven from gold.

Goethite was known as a paint pigment long before King Midas’ days and was used as early as in the paintings of the Paleolithic Caves of Lascaux in France. Applied on the fabrics, it produces a golden shine.

Rather than referring to the production of gold artifacts, Midas’ golden touch may very well refer to this clothing fashion instead.