Other sources for Trojan War

Question 1

what were the 4 sources?

Answer 1

Linear B tablets
Hittite Diplomatic Archive
Homer’s Iliad
Uluburun Shipwreck

Question 2

What are Linear B tablets? and date back to?

Answer 2

• written script inscribed on clay tablets with sharp stylus
• Date to Mycenaean period (approx 1600-1200BC)

Question 3

What were Linear B Used for?

Answer 3

economic transactions, other use include record of war, Greek duties, admin including title of officials - reveal nothing about history, ideas and feeling of Mycenaean people

Question 4

What do the Pylos Archive give clues to events relating to Trojan war?

Answer 4

• reference to large group of slaves of women and children at Pylos
  assumed that they were foreigners from diff places on coast of Asia Minor - perhaps even to Troy captured by Mycenaean raiding parties

Question 5

What did another Linear B tablet reveal?

Answer 5

reference to troop dispositions compared to Homer’s famous catalogue of ships in which Greeks sailed to Troy.
-> however, evidence indirect/inconclusive. Tablet has no reference to Troy or any personalities mentioned in Iliad.

Question 6

Usefulness and reliability of Linear B?

Answer 6

• large slave flax from Asia Minor
• evidence of capturing Troy (poweful city=large population)
• official record= no bias
• factual

Question 7

What is the Hittite Diplomatic Archive?

Answer 7

• Script preserved on clay tablets, called cuneiform

Question 8

Who were hittites?

Answer 8

war like and powerful civilisation of Anatolia existing at same time (Late BA) as Mycenaean civi. in mainland Greece

Question 9

What do the Hittites Tablets say about a city called Wilusa?

Answer 9

o Conflict and tension in region between Wilusa and Ahhiyawa
o Fostering conflict invoking Mycenaean’s for 200 years
o Mycenaean warriors once fought at gates of Wilusa
o If show troy and Wilusa same city, will be effective
o Tablet – Mycenae fought Troy in Late Bronze Age
o Hittite text- battle took place, Mycenaean actively fighting on/off for centuries
o Conflict between 2 superpowers, Mycenaean’s and Hittites
o Troy wealthy city in vital strategic position and both superpowers want it (greed) = fought Troy for gold and land

Question 10

Hittites archive city reference?

Answer 10

Arzawa - region around Troy
Wilusa- Troy
Ahhiyawa- Mycenae

Question 11

When was Uluburun shipwreck discovered?

Answer 11

1982, an archeological treasure trove

Question 12

What did the shipwreck reveal?

Answer 12

• range and quality of raw materials and manufactured goods being traded during Late Bronze Age, also origin and possible trading destination of cargo
• Suggests troy was on trade route
• development of extensive trading networks between major centres of the Aegean and Mediterranean regions
• consisted of 10 tonnes of Cypriot copper in form of 354 flat copper oxide ingots
• importance of copper indicated
• Island of Cyprus was major source of copper for bronze making during Aegean Bronze Age.

Question 13

What dod the Hittite records reveal?

Answer 13

there were political/military tensions around Troy during 13th and early 20 century BC - supposed time of Trojan war.