City of Troy

The myth of the Trojan War has captivated people for thousands of years and has led pilgrims, explorers and archaeologists to search for the location where the famed conflict took place. But did the city really exist? In anticipation of our major autumn exhibition, curators Lesley Fitton and Alexandra Villing explore the reality behind the myth.

William Simpson, Excavations at Hissarlik. Watercolour, 1877.

While some have argued that the myth of Troy was just that – a myth – the allure of the story has led many to search for the site that, according to Homer’s poem, was one of the most important settlements of its time.

Since antiquity, Troy was believed to be located in an area called the ‘Troad’ in the northwest corner of modern-day Turkey. For centuries, pilgrims and travellers made the journey to the Troad to stand on the ground where they believed heroes once walked. In the 19th century, a Scotsman and an Englishman, Charles Maclaren and Frank Calvert, were the first to link a hill containing ancient remains with the site of ancient Troy. But the real breakthrough came in 1870, when the German businessman and self-taught archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann travelled to Anatolia to uncover the city and prove the Iliad was based on fact. Since then, the site that Schliemann claimed was ‘Troy’ has been the subject of extensive excavation and study. Although the evidence can’t prove that the Trojan War really happened, experts now agree that the settlement Schliemann excavated was the famous city…

TROY BEGINS:

The original village of Troy (Troy I) was small, but it flourished and grew. By about 2550–2300 BC (Troy II) it had strong walls encircling a citadel that was still relatively small, but remarkably prosperous.

Troy was situated at the entrance to the Dardanelles strait, and in ancient times lay much nearer to the sea than it does today – the coastline has changed as river deltas have silted up. Its position was key to its prosperity, as the city could trade by sea as well as by land. It may also be that ancient ships, waiting for the wind and currents they needed to pass through the straits, provided a captive market for Trojan goods and services.

Troy went from strength to strength. By the Late Bronze Age, about 1750–1180 BC (Troy VI and VIIa), a larger citadel was enclosed behind impressive sloping walls, parts of which can still be seen at the site today, and there is evidence of a large settlement in the lower town.

Troy went from strength to strength. By the Late Bronze Age, about 1750–1180 BC (Troy VI and VIIa), a larger citadel was enclosed behind impressive sloping walls, parts of which can still be seen at the site today, and there is evidence of a large settlement in the lower town.

In its Late Bronze Age heyday, the site was impressive, as this imagined reconstruction shows. © Christoph Haußner , München.

Trojan wealth was also built on the rich agricultural land in the surrounding area. In the Iliad, the Trojan prince Hector is ‘tamer of horses’ and horse-breeding may well have played a part in Troy’s prosperity. Horse bones have been found there in quantity, as well as bones showing the rearing and domestication of other animals. Sheep farming must have been particularly important, as there is evidence for extensive textile production at Troy and these textiles may well have been exported. It is only over the past few decades that modern archaeology, including the study of ancient plant and animal remains, has transformed our understanding of all these aspects of life at ancient Troy.