CHAPTER XXIII.
Further discoveries of fortifications—The great discovery of the TREASURE on the city wall—Expedient for its preservation—The articles of the Treasure described—The Shield—The Caldron—Bottle and Vases of Gold—The golden δέπας ἀμφικύπελλον—Modes of working the gold—A cup of electrum—Silver plates, probably the talents of Homer—Vessels of Silver—Copper lance-heads: their peculiar form—Copper battle-axes—Copper daggers—Metal articles fused together by the conflagration—A knife and a piece of a sword—Signs of the Treasure having been packed in a wooden chest—The Key found—The Treasure probably left behind in an effort to escape—Other articles found near the Treasure—The thousands of gold jewels found in a silver vase—The two golden Diadems—The ear-rings, bracelets, and finger-rings—The smaller jewels of gold—Analysis of the copper articles by M. Landerer—Discovery of another room in the Palace containing an inscribed stone, and curious terra-cottas—Silver dishes—Greek terra-cotta figures—Great abundance of the owl-faced vases.
LIMITED extent of Troy—Its walls traced—Poetic exaggerations of Homer—The one great point of Troy’s reality established—It was as large as the primitive Athens and Mycenæ—The wealth and power of Troy—Great height of its houses—Probable population—Troy known to Homer only by tradition—Question of a Temple in Homer’s time—Characteristics of the Trojan stratum of remains, and their difference from those of the lowest stratum—The former opinion on this point recalled—Layer of metallic scoriæ through the whole hill—Error of Strabo about the utter destruction of Troy—Part of the real Troy unfortunately destroyed in the earlier excavations; but many Trojan houses brought to light since—The stones of Troy not used in building other cities—The Trojan houses of sun-dried bricks, except the most important buildings, which are of stones and earth—Extent and results of the excavations—Advice to future explorers.
Further excavations on the North side—Very curious terra-cotta vessels—Perforated vases—A terra-cotta with hieroglyphics—Heads of oxen and horses; their probable significance—Idols of the Ilian Athena—Greek and Roman medals—Greek inscriptions—Final close of the excavations: thanksgiving for freedom from serious accidents—Commendations of Nicolaus Saphyros Jannakis, and other assistants, and of the artist Polychronios Tempesis and the engineer Adolphe Laurent.
Troy, June 17th, 1873.
SINCE my report of the 10th of last month I have been especially anxious to hasten the great excavation on the north-west side of the hill, and for this purpose I have made a deep cutting on the west side also, in which, unfortunately, I came obliquely upon the enclosing wall of Lysimachus, which is 13 feet high and 10 feet thick. I was therefore compelled to break out from this wall a double quantity of stones in order to gain an entrance; but I again came upon the ruins of colossal buildings of the Hellenic and pre-Hellenic periods, so that this excavation can only proceed slowly. Here, at a distance of 69 feet from the declivity of the hill, at a depth of 20 feet, I met with an ancient enclosure 5 feet high, and with a projecting battlement. It is not connected with the wall which runs out from the Scæan Gate in a north-westerly direction, and, on account of its very different structure and small height, it must belong to a post-Trojan period. In any case, however, it is much older than the Greek colony, because it is built of stones and earth, and because I found by the side of it several marble idols of the tutelar goddess of Ilium. I am, unfortunately, obliged to break down a portion of this wall to a length of 17½ feet, in order to proceed further, but I have left standing nearly 8 feet of the part I have excavated, so that the wall may be examined. Behind it I found a level place paved partly with large flags of stone, partly with stones more or less hewn, and after this a wall of fortification 20 feet high and 5 feet thick, built of large stones and earth; it runs below my wooden house, but 6½ feet above the Trojan city wall which proceeds from the Scæan Gate.