The significance of the recent discoveries at Troy AND a new historical poll
From the Editor
From the Editor
Last week I shared that new discoveries were made at the ancient site of Troy. Just when we thought that we found it all!
Led by archaeologist and academic Rüstem Aslan, this year’s excavations focus on accessing the destruction layer of the Late Bronze Age, largely associated with the Trojan War, to uncover artifacts linked to warfare.
Despite being early in this season’s work, the team has already discovered 3,500-year-old sling stones in front of a palace structure dating to Troy Phase 6. These finds offer valuable insights into Bronze Age defense and attack strategies.
Troy was a complex multi-layered city that had existed from as early as the Early Bronze Age. It would eventually be abandoned during the Iron Age. Each layer (or phase, according to the article) met its end in some form or another, be it earthquake or war, giving way to resettlement and new construction.
There were always open questions on which layers met their fate to war and as we discover more evidence linking said layer to war or warlike activities, the closer it brings us to identifying that layer as the the Troy of the Homeric epic.
In recent years, preliminary evidence of another destruction layer has emerged between the agora, the palace, and the defensive walls.
Aslan said the team is searching for clues such as weapons embedded in fire layers and hastily buried skeletons — telltale signs of conflict and destruction.
But what is more exciting (in my opinion) is the fact that there is possibly another destruction layer to sift through. Time will tell on what we will discover.
Call me a hopeless romantic but the Homeric tales, both the Iliad and Odyssey, are some of the greatest stories ever told and to find more archaeological evidence corroborating these epic stories is extremely exciting. Which reminds me, I do not know what to expect with the upcoming Christopher Nolan adaptation of the Odyssey (starring Matt Damon). But he does have a history of producing remarkable films and I do look forward to seeing it.
Not much in the way of site news. I am currently editing two new podcast episodes, so keep an eye out for those. I am also in the middle of scheduling two more. All covering some very exciting topics!
And finally…
If you have questions or comments as it relates to ancient Mediterranean or Near Eastern history or the published content on this Substack, reach out! I would love to hear from you. And maybe I will publish your note in a future update or record another Ask Me Anything.
Quote
The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance. - Aristotle
Poll Question
Last Week’s Poll Answer
The question was: Who was the Roman general who defeated Hannibal?
And was featured in the editorial newsletter:
The majority of voters got this one correct with Roman general and statesman, Scipio Africanus. He is most remembered for being instrumental in Rome’s victory over Carthage in the Second Punic War.
The Christopher Nolan movie will probably be pretty good, however i am a little skeptical about it due to leaked photos from the set which appear to show the characters wearing very stylised costumes - particularly armour and helmets - which look more like a fashion shoot for Vogue than historically accurate.
I hope we find an inscription with a familiar name from the epics. That would just be so cool, cooler than gold!