Page 60 - All About History - Issue 29-15

The Truth Behind the Trojan War

TheSearchForTroy

ArcheologistshavescouredAnatoliainthehuntforthemythicalcity.After
yearsofexcavationandspeculation,itmayhavebeenfound

ThesearchforTroybeganin1871whenthe and warships. But the Hellespont is not easy to
Homer-loving German-American businessman navigate. In addition to struggling against a strong
Heinrich Schliemann began excavating a mound current there, seafarers have to face a powerful
southoftheentrancetotheHellespontin north wind for much of the sailing season. Troy Scaean gate
northwestern Turkey; his excavations continued grewrichasaplaceformerchantstomeet,trade Thiswasbelievedtobethemain
until 1890. Schliemann relied on earlier work by andwaitforthewindtodiedown.Italsotraded entrance to the city, where the
TrojanHorsewasleftasa‘gift’for
FrankCalvert,aBritonwhoservedasAmerican in horses raised on the fertile soil of its hinterland.
thedefendersandwhereAchilles
consul in the area. The mound was called Hisarlik, Today’sTroyconsistsofaseriesoflevels,one was killed.
Turkish for ‘Place of Fortresses’. Schliemann on top of another, creating a man-made mound
believed that he had found Troy. about50feethigh.Thesearetheremainsof
Schliemann was an amateur and something thousandsofyearsofmudbrickhouses.When
ofaconman,buttheGermanarchitectWilhelm ancient Trojans rebuilt, they simply levelled old
Dörpfeld, who continued at Troy in 1893-94, put housesandconstructednewonesontopofthem,
Schliemann’s work on a firmer, scientific footing. whichexplainsthedifferentlayersofthecity.
American archaeologist Carl Blegen next directed AncientTroyhastensettlementlayersdating
excavationsatTroy(1932-38).Between1988and fromcirca2920BCEto1300,fromtheBronze
2012,ajointGerman-Americanarchaeological AgethroughtheGreek,Romanand
team under the direction of the late Manfred Byzantine periods. Which level, if
Korfmann(followedin2005byErnestPernicka) any,wasHomer’sTroy?Schliemann
andBrianRoseexcavatedatTroy.Since2013, thought it was Troy II (2550-2250
RüstemAslanhasbeendirectorofaTurkish BCE), a period of mud-brick citadel
excavation at Troy. walls,temples,apalacecomplex
TroysatattheentrancetotheHellespont,
nearwhereitpoursintotheAegeanSea.
Thecityhadprotectedharboursonboth
bodiesofwater.TheHellespontleads
in turn into the Sea of Marmara, the
BosporusandtheBlackSea,makingita
strategicwaterwayformerchantvessels

City walls
Awall,nearlyamileincircumference,defended
thelowercity.Thewallconsistedofastone
foundation and a mud-brick superstructure.

Wooden palisade
Parallel lines of post holes have been discovered.
These provide evidence of a wooden palisade that
served as an additional line of defence beyond the
stone walls of the city.

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