Archaeologists have uncovered new evidence of a violent Bronze Age conflict in the ancient ruins of Troy, shedding light on the historicity of the legendary Trojan War. The discoveries, made by a team of Turkish researchers led by Professor Dr. Rüstem Aslan from Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, include dozens of clay and river stones, eroded sling stones, arrowheads, burned structures, and hastily buried human skeletons just outside the palace walls.
"The density of the sling stones is an indicator of either a great conflict, a desperate defense, or a full-scale attack," said Professor Dr. Rüstem Aslan, the head of the Troy excavations, according to Proto Thema. The focus of the research at Troy includes the palace, marketplace, and fortification walls of the city, known in antiquity as Wilusa, which was a valuable and well-fortified target during the Trojan War.
The new discovery of a cache of sling projectiles, approximately 3,500 years old, found in front of a structure believed to be a palace from Troy VI, adds a material argument to the discussion of the Trojan War. These sling stones, aerodynamically shaped and deadly when launched with leather slings, were powerful enough to crack skulls from a great distance. They were among the deadliest weapons of the Bronze Age, indicating the intensity of the conflict that may have occurred.
Combined with arrowheads from previous excavations, the evidence strongly suggests that hand-to-hand battles occurred in this area, indicating a possible battlefield where defenders made their last stand. Recent excavations have also uncovered burned structures, shattered weapons, and hastily buried human remains, indicating traces of a sudden and violent attack rather than a slow decline. Experts believe these clues paint a frightening picture of close-range clashes and a sudden, destructive fall consistent with ancient Greek narratives.
All these findings align with ancient texts, suggesting a historical basis for the legendary narratives of the Trojan War. The new findings suggest that there may have been a real war behind the legend. However, scholars caution that certain elements of the story, such as the wooden horse, may be symbolic narratives or metaphors. "It is claimed that the wooden horse is also Homer's fantasy, and there is still no trace of it," reported Milliyet, leading scholars to warn that it may be a symbolic narrative or metaphor.
The Trojan War, as recounted in Homer's epic "Iliad," is said to have begun when Trojan Prince Paris kidnapped Helen, the wife of King Menelaus of Sparta, leading to a ten-year siege by the Greeks. After ten years of sieges in Troy, which exhausted both sides, the Greeks finally won through Agamemnon's strategy of using the Trojan Horse to enter the city. Some people argue that the war was Homer's fantasy, but the recent discoveries challenge this notion.
Of particular interest is a metacarpal bone that seems to have been used as a die in games, providing evidence of how soldiers spent their time waiting for battle.The Daily Mail repored that the sling stones, arrowheads, charred structures, and bones of hastily buried people found in the excavations are indicators of the war. These stones could break skulls when thrown at enemies with leather slings, demonstrating the lethal nature of Bronze Age warfare.
The sling stones found in Troy are thought to be from 3,200 to 3,600 years ago and may have been used in the Trojan War, which is believed to have occurred around 1184 BCE. Their presence in large quantities suggests intense military activity. Aslan and his team believe that the density and placement of these sling stones, along with other artifacts, point to scenarios of either a great conflict, a desperate defense, or a full-scale attack, offering tangible connections to the epic tales.
The preparation of this article relied on a news-analysis system.