Revolutionary discoveries in the ancient city of Troy may confirm the reality of the legendary war.
Researchers have long known that Troy was located on the Aegean Sea coast, near the Dardanelles Strait, in the northwest of modern . The city has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. However, the truth behind the brutal war associated with Troy has remained in question for many scholars.
Recently, during excavations at the ruins of the ancient city, artifacts were discovered that convincingly prove that the Trojan War did indeed take place.
According to Homer’s , this war began after Paris of Troy abducted Helen, the wife of the Spartan king. This sparked a ten-year siege of Troy by the Greeks. A key scene in this story was the Greeks’ infiltration of Troy inside a wooden horse to destroy the city.
What Did the Archaeologists Find?
A team of Turkish researchers uncovered dozens of clay and polished river stones used as projectiles for slingshots. They were found near the presumed walls of the palace. also stumbled upon arrowheads, charred buildings, and burials containing human skeletons, as reported by Daily Mail.
According to experts, all this evidence paints a picture of fierce battles in the city and its sudden catastrophic downfall, as described by the ancient Greeks.
“Such a concentration of sling stones over a small area indicates fierce fighting, desperate defense, and a full-scale assault,” noted Professor Rustem Aslan from Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University, the head of the excavation team.
The stones for the slings, polished to aerodynamic perfection, were among the deadliest weapons of the Bronze Age. Launched from leather slings from a significant distance, these stones could easily pierce skulls.
The stones found date back approximately 3,200 to 3,600 years. This timeframe aligns with the period of the Trojan War, which Greek historians believe occurred around 1184 B.C.
For centuries, scholars regarded the events of Homer’s Iliad as pure myth, a poetic fantasy centered around a quarrel over Helen and the wooden horse that deceived an entire city. However, new findings suggest that a real war may have inspired the legend.
A Treasure Trove of Military Relics
Excavations conducted this summer as part of the “Heritage for the Future” project, supported by Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, focused on the palace, marketplace, and defensive walls of once well-fortified Troy.
Archaeologists also discovered a cache of military relics. Among them were bone tools, a sharp awl used for piercing holes in leather armor, and a small bone that soldiers likely used as a gaming die while awaiting battle.
Researchers were particularly struck by a layer of destruction in Troy, first identified in 2024, which has now been excavated further. Archaeologists observed charred ruins, broken weapons, and hastily buried human remains: signs of a sudden, brutal attack rather than a slow decline.
The new discoveries by the team, along with arrowheads found during previous excavations, convincingly indicate that close combat occurred in this part of the city. Perhaps this is where the defenders made their last stand. This also aligns with ancient texts.
Ancient Troy was not a backwater. Its location near the Dardanelles made it a crucial trading hub between Europe and Asia, rich in goods and strategically positioned for controlling shipping routes.
The city boasted stone towers, long walls, and a complex structure: all of which made Troy a desirable and well-defended target.
Now, skeptical scholars are likely to be convinced that Troy not only existed but also endured a real war at the close of the Bronze Age, when empires across the Mediterranean crumbled due to invasions, uprisings, and mass migrations.
Archaeologists have been excavating the city since the 1870s. However, they have yet to uncover any physical evidence of the wooden horse. Thus, scientists speculate that it may have been a poetic symbol, a metaphor for cunning or betrayal.