The history of Hisarlik doesn’t begin and end with the Trojan War. For archaeology has revealed the story of an ancient Anatolian settlement which is fascinating in its own right —whether or not the mound was ever the basis for the legendary city of Troy.
Successive excavations have uncovered Hisarlik’s earliest beginnings. They reveal how it grew from a simple fishing village to become a wealthy and influential Bronze Age city. Archaeology has also helped chart Hisarlik’s various setbacks and disasters. It also reveals that the Romans and Greeks were as fascinated by the legend of Troy — and Hisarlik’s role in the myth — as we are today.
Bronze Age Hisarlik
The majority of Hisarlik’s history belongs to the Bronze Age, encompassing seven of its nine phases.
It was in this extended period that Hisarlik grew and developed, expanding outwards to cover more and more land. The core of Hisarlik was its citadel, situated at the summit of the mound. The citadel seems to have housed Hisarlik’s elite and formed a place of refuge for the local population during times of trouble. However, over time, Hisarlik spread, with a lower town developing down the mound’s southern slopes.
As well as expanding in size, Hisarlik’s wealth and importance increased as the Bronze age progressed. But the archaeology shows that the city’s status was often challenged.
Troy I (3000-2550 BC)
Hisarlik began its life as a small fishing village, set on a cliff overlooking the sea. The initial settlement was a simple one. Measuring just 100 metres in diameter, it comprised of mudbrick houses and surrounded by stone walls. Finds show that the inhabitants used copper and stone tools and homemade pottery. Their diet consisted of grain, meat — and fish from the bay below them.
This first settlement was destroyed by fire sometime in the mid-third millennium BC.
Troy II (2550-2300 BC)
The inhabitants of Hisarlik quickly rebuilt and expanded their settlement until it was 25% larger than the original. A small citadel was established on the plateau. It was also during this phase that Hisarlik began to expand down the southern and eastern ends of the plateau.
Troy II was a much more sophisticated structure than its predecessor. The citadel was surrounded by 5 metre high walls, fortified with towers every 10 metres. Entry this fortified region was through two main gates. The south-west gate had a particularly sophisticated defensive mechanism that allowed the inhabitants of the citadel to manage those wishing to enter.
This southern gateway was approached by a long, steep ramp which left approaching visitors visible and exposed. Once at the gate, anyone wishing to enter the citadel passed found themselves in a kind of no man’s land; a small waiting area sandwiched between an inner and outer gateway. This system was an effective way of controlling those who entered the citadel — or barring undesirables.
The buildings inside the citadel were Mycenean styled megarons. Lying parallel to each other along a northeast- south-west axis, these rectangular structures consisted of a large inner room and an outer porch. The largest of them was a 400-metre square great hall with a central hearth and in its time was the largest construction in the Aegean.
Whether this citadel area represented a palace or ceremonial centre is unknown. But what is certain is by the end of Troy II, Hisarlik was prospering as it began to trade. The people inhabiting the “lower town” began by manufacturing pottery which they sold to near neighbours. Over time, trade expanded, making Hisarlik wealthy. This fact is attested by the structure and layout of the city — and the rich haul of gold jewellery known as the famous King Priam’s treasure, discovered by
Troy III (2300-2200 BC)
Troy II represented the city on the mound’s golden age. However, this phase also ended with fire. Once again, the people of Hisarlik rebuilt. And so, the phase of Hisarlik’s history known as Troy III began.
Much of Troy III is lost to us, destroyed by an overzealous Schliemann as he dug for Homer’s Troy. But what remains demonstrated that during this phase, Hisarlik’s fortunes took a dip. The city remained fortified. But the orderly, regularly spaced megarons of Troy II were replaced by many more, irregularly arranged houses. This change suggests the defensive part of the city was now trying to accommodate more people — perhaps in response to an external threat.
Troy IV (2200-2000 BC) and Troy V (2000-1750 BC)
By the middle Bronze age, Hisarlik’s lot began to improve- marginally. Remains of houses, running along narrow streets suggest the city was still overcrowded. But these houses were of better quality than those of Troy III and the area within Hisarlik’s city walls had grown too.
The golden age may have been over, perhaps because nearby Crete and other Anatolian cities had challenged Hisarlik’s monopoly on trade. But the city was still holding its own.
Troy VI (1750-1300 BC)
Troy VI saw further expansion. Now Hisarlik’s lower town took up the whole of the southern edge of its plateau. The city now covered an area of 20,000 metres squared and could house as many as five to ten thousand people. Remains of stairs suggest some houses had second stories and in the lower town, trade and manufacturing had resumed — as well as the rearing of horses. Once again, Hisarlik was an impressive and prosperous city —one that could easily have rivalled other Aegean cities — Mycenae included.
The fortifications of the city now consisted of limestone blocks, stacked 9 to 10 metres high — and four to five metres wide without the use of mortar. The city walls were now also surrounded by a defensive ditch and had five bolted gates. The northeast entrance was particularly defensive. Its key feature was its wall which overlapped with the city wall — forming a passageway for soldiers between the two walls.
It is Troy VI that best fits the concept of Homer’s Troy. The city even contains features that echo in the Illiad. For instance, the city’s watchtowers overlooking the Trojan Plain match those described by Homer. Troy VI also came to a destructive conclusion, instigated by either an invasion, an earthquake — or a combination of the two.
Evidence for an earthquake is suggested by damage to houses and the upper city walls while the main walls still stood. Fire damage throughout the city could also have been due to domestic fires breaking out due to tremours. However, the southern entrance in the main walls was severely damaged. Inside, archaeologists found battle debris such as arrowheads, slingshots — and hastily buried human remains suggested that around the time of the earthquake, violence broke out in the city.
Troy VII ( 1300-900 BC)
Troy VII covers a variety of sub-phases but overall suggests a city under siege. Storage spaces now appear in the foundation of houses, suggesting the city had acquired a siege mentality and was its citizens were stockpiling. Hisarlik’s defences were also now state of the art. It seems that Troy VII was now primarily a fortress for its people and those in the surrounding countryside.
The Greek City of Troy
After the destruction of Troy VII, Hisarlik fell into disuse until around 800 BC. Then — during the period when Homer is believed to have written the Illiad, Troy was again rebuilt — this time by Greek incomers.
Troy VIII (800- 85 BC)
Troy VIII represents Hisarlik’s Greek phase. Now, known as Ilion, a new prosperous age began. The new Greek settlers lavished attention on their new city. They constructed a massive city wall, and Hisarlik/Ilion once again became affluent and well populated. Ilion became a centre for Panathenaic games. However, primarily, it was a tourist attraction. For the Greeks genuinely believed that Ilion was the Troy of Homer’s poem — and they flocked to visit it.
In 334 BC, the city had an exulted visitor when Alexander the Great visited. As a mark of respect to its perceived trojan past, he ordered yet more rebuilding. A new Parthenon style temple was constructed on the citadel, as well as a Greek-style theatre and council chamber.
Ilion was severely burned in the Mithridatic wars of 85BC. It was quickly rebuilt once the conflict was over — but not by the Greeks.
The Roman City
Troy IX 85 BC
Troy IX lies over the remains of Troy VI and VII. It represents the final flourishing of Hisarlik, this time as a Roman city.
Like the Greeks before them, the Romans were fascinated by Hisarlik — but for a slightly different reason. For, to the Romans, Hisarlik was the mythical home of the Roman people. The Romans believed themselves descended from the Trojan hero Aeneas and his men, who fled to Italy after Troy’s defeat. By acquiring Hisarlik, the Romans were going back to their roots.
So, under Rome, Alexander the Great’s temple and theatre were renovated. Quintessentially roman features were also added, such as the new water supply, transporting water from Mount Ida. Once again, the lower town grew prosperous, and Hisarlik acted as a magnet for the great men of the age. Amongst these illustrious Roman visitors was Julius Caesar, who visited Hisarlik to pay his respects to Homer’s dead heroes.
Hisarlik’s significance to the Romans was such that Emperor Constantine even considered it briefly as the new capital for his empire. But the rise of Christianity diminished Hisarlik’s importance, as the legends surrounding it were dismissed as part of the pagan past. So, Constantine chose Byzantium as the site of his city and Hisarlik began to dwindle. Finally, it was damaged by a series of earthquakes, never to be rebuilt again.
Sources
Allen, Susan Heuck, “Finding the Walls of Troy”: Frank Calvert, Excavator. The American Journal of archaeology, Vol 99, No 3, (July 1995), pp 379-407.
Arrian, The Campaigns of Alexander (Book I, Ch XI)
Blegen, Carl W, (2005), Troy and the Trojans. London: The Folio Society
Gates, Charles, (2003) Ancient Cities. The Archaeology of Urban Life in the Ancient Near East and Egypt, Greece and Rome. Routledge: London and New York.
Leavesley, Jordana, The Archaeological Remains of the various Cities of troy and how literary sources can add to our knowledge.”
