Troy - Information Point 2

Information Point 2

This point offers a view over the whole site. The East Wall, a part of the hill's defenses in Troy VI, consisted of an embanked substructure some 6m/20ft high, 5m/16ft thick and exposed on the outside. On top of this, 1m/40in above the ground- level of the settlement, was a vertical superstructure of flat rectangular stones, almost regularly dressed. The surface has been rebuilt with clay bricks.

South-East Tower

The South-East Tower was originally two-storyed. One of the characteristic features of the wall, the vertical offsets, can be seen in this area. They are spaced out at regular 9-10m/30-33ft intervals. Mycenaean houses Troy VI

Beyond the wall and the tower, large houses of the Mycenaean settlement are visible: first House VI G, then to the northeast away from the wall House VI F and further north Houses VI E and VI C. The houses of Troy VI were built round the hill on a number of concentric terraces with almost certainly the king's palace on the highest point.

Building VI F had pillars suggesting a second floor. Passing through the gate it will be clear that House VI E was particularly well built. It needs to be remembered that at the time these grandiose buildings were built, iron or steel had not been discovered. The quality of the stonemasonry is therefore all the more impressive.

East Gate

The wall projecting from the East Gate is overlaid with a Roman wall of dressed stone which bore the columns at the east end of the temple. The defensive wall from the south helped to form a curving passage some 10m/33ft long and 1.80m/6ft wide.

From one of more than 20 limestone altars which surrounded the Temple of Athena, it is possible to see the massive tower of the North-East Gate in the Mycenaean walls.