Chapter XXIII: Troy, June 17th, 1873

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--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 of the
engineer Adolphe Laurent 321

NOTE A. The river _Dumbrek_ is not the Thymbrius, but the Simoïs 358

NOTE B. Table of terra-cotta weights found at Hissarlik 359

NOTE C. Analysis by M. Damour of some of the metallic objects found 361