Archeology at Hissarlik

Question 1

List the 5 archeologists:

Answer 1

Frank Calvert
Heinrich Schliemann 
Wilhelm Dorpfeld 
Carl Blegen
Manfred Korfmann

Question 2

When did Frank Calvert start dig?

Answer 2

• 1865, british archeologist, dug trial trenches in mound known as Hissarlik.

Question 3

Where did Calvert dig?

Answer 3

• Hissarlik, situation in Troad area in NW Asia Minor

- He was convinced Hissarlik was site of ancient Troy

Question 4

When did Schliemann secure permission to excavate Hissarlik?

Answer 4

1868- Schliemann visited Calvert and secured permission

Question 5

When did Schliemann begin excavation?

Answer 5

1871-73 and 1878-9 (period over 3 years)

Question 6

who was Heinrich Schliemann?

Answer 6

German amateur archaeologist and self made millionaire with dream to discover ancient city of Troy

Question 7

How did Schliemann first set about to finding city of troy?

Answer 7

with the faith of the literal truth of Homer’s account of war in Iliad and Schliemann set out with homer in one hand and stop watch in another, pas=cing out distance in the Troad.

Question 8

Why did Schliemann begin excavating at Hissarlik?

Answer 8

on advice of Calvert and matching Homer’s description

Question 9

What did Schliemann discover?

Answer 9

excavated hill and discovered ruins on ancient cities dating from Bronze Age to Roman Period = 9 major stratas of settlement, labelling earliest level 1 and most recent level 9
Although Schliemann only found up to 7 cities superimposed on one another.

Question 10

What did Schliemann uncover and what was wrong with his excavations?

Answer 10

• uncovered troy had long history of settlement from c. 3000BC.
  However, Schliemann’s destructive method of excavation, e.g. digging huge trench in middle, destroying large walls in process -> difficult for other excavators

Question 11

What did Schliemann find on the 31st may, 1873?

Answer 11

between level 2 and 3, evidence of burning and destruction, concluding that this was Troy of Homer that Greeks sacked and burned (either Troy 1 or later Troy 2) - identification of this was widely accepted at time

Question 12

What did Schliemann also claimed to have found?

Answer 12

in 1873, claim to have found great treasure he called, ‘Priam’s treasure’/’treasure of Priam’ after Trojan king who attempted to defend his city against Greek attack

Question 13

what was in the Priam’s treasure?

Answer 13

golden pendants, earings, bracelets, rings and diadems, as well as cups, cauldrons, cases more than 8 700 pieces in all

Question 14

What were the doubts in the Priams treasure?

Answer 14

• doubt about authenticity
• check of dates and events dont support Schliemann’s claims
• His wife was actually in Athens at time of discovery, considering he made account of her taking it out with him)
• some items believed to be planted by himself and dramatically discovered = ‘salting’ evidence

Question 15

what did Schliemann later recover in level 6?

Answer 15

large buildings/walls similar to those in Mycenaean and Tiryns with evidence of Mycenaean pottery

Question 16

When did Schliemann die?

Answer 16

December 1890, no further excavations done

Question 17

importance of Schliemann’s finds?

Answer 17

although made mistakes, he found evidence of previously unknown Bronze Age civilisation that had existed between c.1600 - 1100 BC.
Some info of Homer was authenticated by his finds such as bronze swords, chariots, boar’s tusk helmet and great shields, either as artefacts or depicted in fresoces

Question 18

What are some things in Homer;s account that have not being proven by Schliemann?

Answer 18

• still disrecpencies, inaccuracies and anachronisms in Homer’s account

Question 19

What do historians agree Homer’s Iliad is?

Answer 19

agree that his account id a ‘confused amalgam’ of period dating from c. 1600BC - 800BC.

Question 20

How was troy kept alive?

Answer 20

in myths, legends, literature but location unknown

many didn’t believe existence

Question 21

What would have been problems faced when looking for troy

Answer 21

3000 years would have changed topography and coastline of area dramatically.

Question 22

When did Wilhelm Dorpfield excavate?

Answer 22

after Schliemann in 1893-4

Question 23

What did Dorpfield uncover?

Answer 23

Schliemann discovered 7 cities and believed Troy II was Troy of Homer, But he identified 2 more cities superimposed on another (9 levels now = 4 000 yrs of inhabitation

Question 24

Which layer to Dorpfield identify as Troy?

Answer 24

Troy VI as found wide streets, large houses, defensive walls, and watch towers and evidence of destruction by fire. But Blegan state evidence of fire could be related to earthquake damage than warfare

Question 25

When did Carl Blegen excavate and who is he?

Answer 25

1932-8

archeologist from Uni of Cincinnati

Question 26

What did Blegen do in his excavation?

Answer 26

dug in areas untouched by Schliemann and Dorpfield

established a more scientific sequence of buildings and artefacts

Question 27

What did Blegen identify as real Troy of Homer?

Answer 27

Troy VIIa
Scholars disagree, believe it to Troy VI.
Troy VIIa doesn’t fit Homer’s description. Its houses were poorly built and cramped but walls strong.
The city appeared to have been destroyed by fire after 30 yrs of habitation

Question 28

Who is Manfred Korfmann and when did he excavate?

Answer 28

from 1988

German archeologist, Professor of Uni of Tubingen

Question 29

What was Korfmann able to do?

Answer 29

with large team of international experts and latest tech, able to reveal new areas of site for excavation and study

Question 30

What possible evidence of battle was found by Korfmann?

Answer 30

bronze arrowheads and fire damaged human remains buried in layers dated to 12th century BC. (level 6-7a)

Question 31

What did Korfmann discover in August 1993?

Answer 31

using magnometer survey of fields below fort, deep ditch located and excavated among ruins of later Greek and romans history. Verified existence of lower city/settlement from 17th-early 12th century BC (level 6, 7a)

Question 32

what did the ditch uncovered by Korfmann mark? What did the latter city date to?

Answer 32

outer defences or larger city than previously thought. (u shaped fortification ditch)
the latter city dated to approx. 1250 BC (Homeric city of Troy)

Question 33

What did Korfmann find outside citadell walls?

Answer 33

found items of late bronze age period such as pithoi (storage jars) and evidence of fire

Question 34

What evidence of conflict was found in the lower city by Korfmann?

Answer 34

• arrowheads (close quarter fighting)
• skeletons ( burned with no proper burial)
• sling pellets ( assembled by defenders of Troy and abandoned when lost) could crush skull with it

Question 35

Korfmann’s find of gate of citadel?

Answer 35

construction of gate of citadel mistake
cant close off gateway therefore cant prevent invading army
conclusion that maybe it wasn’t the outside wall of troy and more bigger (outer/lower city)
city extended beyond citadel wall towards field