During discussions about the content published on the HE website, it became apparent that many users were fascinated by Bronze Age weapons and armor, particularly those from the legendary Trojan War. This topic is truly captivating and reminiscent of stories we learned in fifth grade history class – from “Copper spears” to “Helm-helm Hector” to the famous shield of Achilles. What makes this historical event even more intriguing is that it was passed down through poetry, a form of art. By delving into this topic and showing interest, users were able to uncover a culture previously unknown to them.
The black-figured ceramic vessel discovered in Corinth showcases scenes from the Trojan War dating back to around 590-570 BC. To truly understand the significance of this artifact, let’s go back to the beginning. The myth of Troy, a city besieged by the Greeks, lacked concrete evidence until the late nineteenth century. However, the romanticized childhood dream of Heinrich Schliemann, who later became wealthy, received substantial financial backing. This led Schliemann on a quest to uncover the legendary city of Troy in Asia Minor.
After the year 355 AD, this particular place disappeared from historical records. Then, Schliemann, following the solo mention by Herodotus, identified the Ghisarlyk hill as the possible location and began excavating there. Starting in 1871, he continued digging for more than two decades until his death. An unconventional archaeologist, he excavated without properly documenting his findings, discarding anything he deemed unimportant, and tirelessly dug until he finally discovered what he believed was the ancient city of Troy.
Many experts at the time were skeptical that the site was actually Troy, but with the support of British Prime Minister William Gladstone, the addition of professional archaeologist Wilhelm Dörpfeld to his team, and slowly unraveling the mystery of the ancient city began to unfold!
One of the most surprising discoveries was the finding of multiple cultural layers at the site of Troy. Each new Troy was built on top of the remnants of the previous one, with Troy I being the oldest and Troy IX dating back to Roman times. Today, there are a total of 46 layers (and sublayers) at the site, making it quite challenging to study Troy accurately.
Schliema thought that the Troy he found was Troy II, but actually the true Troy is Troy VII. Evidence shows that the city was destroyed by fire, and the remains of people found in this layer strongly suggest a violent death. This event is believed to have occurred around 1250 BC.
