Schliemann's destructive dynamite excavation of Troy/Hisarlik stratigraphy. Heinrich Schliemann used dynamite to blast through archaeological layers at Hisarlik, destroying approximately 1,000 years of history in the process The site was inhabited for about 3,000 years before being ignored for 1,000 years Level seven contained a wall built at the end of the Bronze Age, similar in date to Mycenaean constructions
Heinrich Schliemann's use of dynamite at Hisarlik blasted through roughly 1,000 years of stratigraphy, obliterating archaeological context. Level seven held a Bronze Age wall comparable in date to Mycenaean constructions, yet Schliemann's excavation methods destroyed it rather than any mythical war. In level two, he uncovered gold artifacts later dubbed "Priam's Treasure."
Key Facts
- Heinrich Schliemann used dynamite to blast through archaeological layers at Hisarlik, destroying approximately 1,000 years of history in the process
- The site was inhabited for about 3,000 years before being ignored for 1,000 years
- Level seven contained a wall built at the end of the Bronze Age, similar in date to Mycenaean constructions
- This Bronze Age wall was destroyed by Schliemann's excavation methods rather than by any mythical war
- In level two, Schliemann found gold artifacts, including items later called "Priam's Treasure"
Related site: Hisarlık — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: Fact, Fiction, and a Billionnaire With Dynamite - What is behind this wall by One-eyed giant building walls