In this episode, on the back of examining the nature of epic tradition, and some of the problems inherent in using it as a historical source, we're looking at the actual archaeology of Troy. Or....well, okay, Hittite Wiluša/Hisarlik, which we're 80-90% sure is the city Homer is alluding to. Here I run through the stratigraphy of the site, its various destruction layers & most importantly of all, the way in which the idea of Troy has been recieved by Western audiences since the Victorian era.
Overview of topics in this episode:
🏛️ The Hittite City of Hisarlik -The archaeological significance & stratigraphy of Hisarlik, the site believed to be ancient Troy
🛡️ Late Bronze Age Warfare -The evidence for war and conflict in Hisarlik's various layers, from the Early Bronze Age to the Late Bronze Age collapse
🔍 Excavation Data -Heinrich Schliemann's antiquarian excavations and the subsequent discoveries that have shaped our understanding of Troy.
📜 Hittite Linguistics -The significance of Luwian Wiluša in Hittite texts and its connection to Homer’s Ilium.
🌍 Cross-Cultural Exchange - Analysis of Troy's role as a pivotal point of contact between Eastern and Western cultures.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on the excavations from Hisarlik in the comments below. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell for more deep dives into archaeology.
Sources & Bibliography:
Rose, B. 2022: Ilion: Oxford Classical Dictionary. [Accessed Online]. Available at oxfordre.com/classics/display...
Aslan, C & Hnila, P. 2015: Migration and Integration at Troy from the End of the Late Bronze Age to the Iron Age. In Stampolidis, N., Maner, Ç. and Kopanias, K. (eds.), Nostoi: Indigenous Culture, Migration and Integration in the Aegean I.
Aslan, C & Rose, C. 2013: City and Citadel at Troy from the Late Bronze Age through the Roman Period. Conference: Cites and Citadels in Turkey: From the Iron Age to the Seljuks At: Istanbul Volume: Redford, S. and Ergin, N. (eds.), Cities and Citadels in Turkey: From the Iron Age to the Seljuks, Ancient Near Eastern Studies Supplement Series Vol. 40 (Leuven), 7-38.
Aslan, C & Kealhofer, Lisa & Grave, P. 2014: The Early Iron Age at Troy Reconsidered. Oxford Journal of Archaeology. 33
Weninger, B. 2009: Studia Troica. Band 18. Universität Tübingen
Burney, C. 2004: "Wilusa". Historical dictionary of the Hittites. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press
Jablonka, P. 2011: Troy in regional and international context. In Steadman, S; McMahon, G (eds.). The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Anatolia. Oxford University Press
Bryce, T. 2005: The Trojans and their Neighbours. Taylor & Francis
Yakar, J. 1979: Troy and Anatolia early Bronze Age chronology. Anatolian Studies. 29: 52.
Jablonka, P. 2013: Knock down the walls to let the horse come in: conflicting imaginations, archaeology and reconstruction at Troy. Troy: New Perspectives on Archaeology and Cultural Heritage in Turkey Symposium at the Allard Pierson Museum, Amsterdam
Reinhard, B & Pavúk, P. 2010: Pottery processing at Troy. Typology, Stratigraphy and Correspondence Analysis: how do they work together? In -Analysing Pottery. Processing - Classification - pp.73-98. Comenius University in Bratislava
Bachhuber, C. 2009: The treasure deposits of Troy: rethinking crisis and agency on the Early Bronze Age citadel. Anatolian Studies, 59, 1-18.
Erkanal, H & Şahoğlu, V. 2016: Early Bronze Age Troy: Chronology, Cultural Developments and Interregional Contacts. In E. Pernicka, S. Ünlüsoy & S. Blum (Eds.) Tübingen.
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I am currently teaching a lecture series on Ancient & Late Antique Hermeticism. Do check it out! www.mystai.co.uk/way-of-hermes
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