Pactolus River gold

E337395

Pactolus River gold refers to the legendary alluvial gold deposits in the Pactolus River that enriched the ancient Lydian Kingdom and are famously linked to the myth of King Midas.

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All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Pactolus River gold canonical 1

Statements (42)

Predicate Object
instanceOf alluvial gold
legendary gold deposit
natural resource
associatedWith Greek mythology
King Midas
Lydian Kingdom
Lydian electrum coinage
Midas touch
surface form: Midas touch myth

Sardis
contributedTo development of early coinage
economic power of Lydia
culturalSignificance example of myth explaining natural resources
symbol of sudden and abundant wealth
economicRole basis of Lydian monetary system
funding of Lydian state and military
extractedBy ancient placer mining techniques
panning and washing methods
geologicalType auriferous alluvium
historicalReputation one of the richest ancient gold streams
influenced reputation of Croesus for great wealth
linkedTo Croesus’ refinement of electrum into separate gold and silver coinage
origin of the world’s first standardized gold and silver coins
locatedIn Anatolia
Lydia
Pactolus River
modern-day Turkey
materialForm alluvial placer deposits
electrum
mentionedIn works of Herodotus
surface form: Herodotus’ Histories

Strabo
surface form: Strabo’s Geography

ancient Greek literary sources
mythologicalExplanation washed from King Midas after he bathed in the Pactolus River
near Sardis acropolis
region western Anatolia
relatedMyth Midas washing away his golden touch in the Pactolus River
sourceFor Lydian coinage
Lydian wealth
electrum used in early coins
timePeriod 1st millennium BCE
Iron Age
usedBy Croesus
surface form: King Croesus

Lydian rulers

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Lydian Kingdom knownFor Pactolus River gold