New Evidence Alludes to Military Conflict at Ancient Troy

ÇANAKKALE, TURKEY—Since the rediscovery of ancient Troy at the site of Hisarlik in the nineteenth century, archaeologists have often debated whether the Trojan War—the mythical conflict made famous by Homer’s ancient poems the Iliad and the Odyssey—was based on an actual event. Some evidence of military conflict has previously been uncovered at the site, but not enough to fully convince all scholars that a 10-year war took place there between the Greeks and the Trojans. Türkiye Today reports that new excavations led by Rüstem Aslan of Canakkale Onsekiz Mart University are hoping to address this dispute. The team is currently investigating layers known as Troy 6 and Troy 7, which date to the thirteenth century b.c. during the Late Bronze Age, the purported era of the Trojan War. These strata contain evidence, including burnt deposits and haphazardly buried skeletons, that the city was violently sacked at this time. Recent work in this area has unearthed additional new clues, such as a pile of small pebbles buried just outside the palace walls. These stones were used as ammunition for slings, a common weapon for soldiers during the Bronze Age. “The fact that so many sling stones were uncovered in such a small area in front of the palace points to an activity related to defense or assault,” Aslan said. Whether they are truly from an epic contest that spawned the legend of the Trojan War will have to await further investigation. To read about other recent research on material from Troy, go to "Around the World: Turkey."