Remains of Ancient Trojan Warriors Found

Archaeologists in Turkey have found the remains of a man and a woman who died fighting in the legendary Siege of Troy, some 3,000 years ago.

According toReuters, the bones of the two were discovered in the layers VI and VII. Troy VII is believed to be the site of the legendary war brought about by the abduction of the beautiful Helen, Queen of Sparta, by Paris, prince of Troy. The siege of Troy by Greek heroes is the subject of theIlliadby the great poet of antiquity, Homer. Ernst Pernicka, an archaeologist from the University of Tübingen, said:

We were able to calculate their approximate times of death and their ages. If our estimates are correct, we can confirm that we have found the first dead of the Trojan War.

The report said archaeologists could also increase their estimates of the size of the ancient city, as the recent excavations show a larger Bronze Age settlement than was previously believed. Pernicka told Reuters:

If the remains are confirmed to be from 1,200 B.C. it would coincide with the Trojan war period. These people were buried near a moat. We are conducting radiocarbon testing, but the finding is electrifying,

The German amateur archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann discovered the remains of the city in 1871. The ruins of Troy near the Dardanelles Straight remain one of Turkey’s key tourist attractions.