In the winter of 1985-6, Dr Veli Sevin of Istanbul University visited Richard Neave to enquire about the reconstruction process. He seemed most interested in the technique, especially the problems associated with the soft parts of the face. He finally confessed the reason for this interest - he believed that he had the skull of Midas, king of the Phrygians in the late eighth and early seventh century BC. As well as the story of his golden touch, the other story most famously associated with King Midas is that of his "asses ears". Legend has it that he received them as punishment from the god Apollo for failing to pronounce him the champion in a music contest.

The skull in question came from the burial mound commonly called the "Midas Mound" outside the ancient Phrygian capital of Gordion in central Turkey. The mound contained a very wealthy burial, and a skeleton in excellent condition. Was this King Midas? And what of the asses ears?

The skull did not answer this latter question - there was no evidence for any condition which might lead to such a description. However, Dr Roger Wood, Reader in Genetics at Manchester University, suggested a possible solution - a condition known as "hairy pinnae" which is only passed through the male line, and causes hair to sprout on the outer or upper edges of the ear (or both).