This year’s excavations at the ancient city of Troy, located within the borders of Tevfikiye village in the northwestern province of Çanakkale, have uncovered treasure finds that researchers say are crucial for understanding the relationship between previously known artifacts.
The ancient city of Troy, listed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List and with a history spanning 5,500 years, yielded 4,500-year-old tool fragments and a bead made of seashell during this year’s excavations.
Professor Rüstem Aslan, Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University (ÇOMÜ) faculty member and head of the excavation team, told state-run Anadolu Agency that work at Troy continues throughout the year.
Aslan said they have been carrying out the excavations within the scope of the “Heritage for the Future Project,” adding that this year’s finds mark a turning point in the history of the digs.
Noting that Troy has been excavated for about 150 years, Aslan said, “I have witnessed the excavations over roughly 40 years, from my student days until today. I discovered some of the finds myself. Many discoveries were made in the past 40 years as well. During Korfmann’s period, there were many significant finds, including the ‘Luwian seal.’ There were developments regarding the lower city. But the importance of this year’s finds is somewhat different."
"Since the 19th century, the discoveries that Heinrich Schliemann unearthed in the 1870s and illegally smuggled out of the country have been debated from various angles. These debates included the dating of the treasure finds, their relationship with other artifacts and the places where they were originally uncovered. The gold spiral brooch we found this year, along with the jade piece, the seashell bead, the bronze needle and the bone tools, provide us with major data on the treasure’s context and its relationship to other finds," he added.
Touching on the dating of the items found alongside the treasure pieces, he said, “This year’s finds date back 4,500 years. We note their connection to other finds by drawing on earlier datings and typological interpretations.”
Aslan provided the following information about the items unearthed during the excavations: “These gold and treasure-related finds are very distinctive. They come from special structures within the citadel. Yet in previous work, we could not precisely determine the exact location of the other finds—whether they came from a structure or a grave. Now we can say this: on either side of the bone tool, there is very likely a bronze awl or another tool. The bronze needle again very likely points to textile or leatherwork. The jade piece and the seashell bead relate to adornment. These finds also indicate Troy’s intercontinental trade and its wealth.”
