City of Troy

The City of Troy has an interesting history, far beyond that from Homer’s Odyssey or Brad Pitt’s movie from the early 2000’s.

The city has 9 layers, not levels, but layers. Each layer is made on top of the demolished remains of the previous city. Rather than carting off the demolished remains, the new city was constructed directly on top of the remains of the previous.

The nine layers built up roughly 15 meters in height from the original soil level.

The city was eventually abandoned after the sea retreated and the site was no longer a viable port.

Interestingly, excavation of the area was begun by a German amateur archeologist named Heinrich Schliemann who found the site by following clues in The Iliad. In his quest for “discovery,” Schliemann used dynamite to “excavate” rather than the usual softer tools of the trade. This is believed to have destroyed many artifacts and the actual first level that is believed to be the historical City of Troy.

As for that horse story…. There is no strong evidence that there was ever an actual Trojan Horse. Homer and Virgil were not a historians, they wrote poems, myths and stories that often had historically accurate elements.
So, the story could be true, but since there is no other evidence to back it up, it is believed by most experts to be a myth or a metaphor for a strategic weapon.Read more