In this four-part series, learn about the archaeology of Troy and the Trojan War, including the ways in which both the site and war have been viewed throughout history. Troy is located in northwestern Turkey, at one of the easiest crossing points between Europe and Asia. Consequently, Troy has been a contested region between east and west for the last 3,000 years. Contemporary discussion of war, as well as art and literature about modern conflicts, regularly reference the Trojan War.

Review the Trojan War’s archaeological evidence and contemplate how armed conflict in and around Troy in the late second millennium BCE influenced the war stories chronicled in Homer’s Iliad. Consider how the physical landscape around Troy has affected participants in more recent struggles, such as World War I, during which soldiers at Gallipoli were fighting in the same terrain as Homer’s fictional heroes.