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Cities: Troy
 Return to Cities
Troy is one of the most famous sites in the western world largely through its association with Homer's epic tale of the Iliad. Two main phases of the site date to the third millennium B.C. The lowest levels of Troy I, established around 3000 B.C., include a fortification wall and freestanding mud-brick houses on stone foundations. The city's fortifications were extended in the next phase around 2700 B.C. There is, however, no cultural break, and during Troy II, the Earl Bronze Age town is thought to have covered some two hectares. Two gateways flanked by massive towers gave access to the settlement. Houses inside the walls are much larger than in the earlier phase and are constructed of massive stones. It is, however, the wealth of objects from Troy II that has made it legendary. These are important because they demonstrate an extensive trade network that linked Troy with other sites in Anatolia, the Cyclades, and the Greek mainland. Troy II ended with a massive conflagration around 2300 B.C. Troy III is a much poorer phase with changes in the plan of the city and no evidence for a fortification wall while Troy IV, at the very end of the third millennium B.C., saw another change in the site plan.
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