Original subtitles

Narrator: mysterious ancient Ruins in northwest turkey --

Could this be The fabled city of troy?

Rose: troy is such an important And legendary place

That finding it would be The discovery of a lifetime.

Narrator: The famous city is backdrop

To one of the greatest Stories ever told,

The tale of the trojan war.

Tallis: Brave hero, a beautiful woman,

A cunning trick -- This story has it all.

Narrator: but did it really Happen, or is it just a myth?

Could this ruined citadel Provide the answer?

We thought it was all made up, But what if it's really true?

Narrator: today, experts Dig deeper than ever before

To solve this ancient mystery

And use innovative Computer modeling

To discover the truth About the iconic trojan horse.

It's a phenomenal feat Of engineering, craftsmanship,

And skill.

Narrator: In the search for the truth,

We'll reconstruct This ancient city.

We'll rebuild its walls, tunnel Into its very foundations,

And investigate If a man-made horse

Could conceal a secret army

To reveal what really happens To the city of troy.

--captions by vitac-- Www.Vitac.Com

Captions paid for by Discovery communications

The windswept coast Of northwest turkey --

Mysterious ruined buildings Dating back thousands of years.

♪♪

Could this be The famous city of troy?

♪♪

According to legend, troy rises

From the coastal plains Of asia minor.

It's the most powerful city In the region,

Housing more than 10,000 citizens.

At its heart is a great citadel

Protected by mighty stone walls.

Outside its gates stands a gift From a hostile greek army

That besieges the city For 10 long years --

A gigantic wooden horse

That will bring about The destruction of troy.

But is there any truth To this tale?

♪♪

Archaeologist brian rose Has been excavating this site

For 30 years.

He investigates how much Of the legend is really true.

The story of the trojan wars, It's one of the oldest

And most famous stories Ever told.

♪♪

Narrator: The tale is first recorded

By the greek writer homer

In about 750 b.C.

He immortalizes the city And the siege

In an epic poem Called "The iliad."

Rose: Homer left clues to the location Of troy throughout "The iliad,"

And the details are so precise That many historians believe

He was talking about An actual place.

Narrator: in the story, The greeks launch 1,000 ships

And sail across the sea To attack troy.

They besiege the city For 10 years.

Rose: it ends because of The trick of the trojan horse,

Where a monumental wooden horse With a hollow stomach

In which greek soldiers Have hidden

Is brought into The city of troy.

At night, the greek soldiers Creep out of the hollow stomach

Of the horse, Open the gates of the city,

Let in the greek army, And troy is destroyed.

♪♪

Narrator: for centuries, experts Searched for troy's location.

In northwest turkey, They find this huge mound.

Buried inside, they find the Remains of a once-mighty city.

♪♪

Imposing towers Of a fortified gatehouse

Flank the broad entranceway.

It's one of three main openings

In the thick, high walls Of stone and mud brick.

Inside, the city covers 5 acres,

With grand houses packed in Close to one another,

Vying for space In the protected citadel.

And overlooking them all, An immense palace complex.

This is a seat of power And wealth,

A fortified stronghold That dominates the landscape.

It has all the right hallmarks.

So is this the legendary city Of troy?

♪♪

Brian hunts for evidence.

The first clue is in The mighty walls themselves.

Rose: homer describes The walls of troy

As being incredibly strong And incredibly high,

And that's What you see behind me.

As you look at these walls Of the northeast bastion,

You can see that they fit His description perfectly.

Narrator: this ruined gateway In the south of the city

Provides more evidence.

Rose: homer speaks Of the strength of the gateways

Leading into the citadel

And especially the strength Of the south gateway.

This is the south side Of the citadel,

And this comes pretty close To that description.

These gates and these towers

Would have been Extraordinarily high,

Clearly built To withstand a siege

And, indeed, A series of sieges over time.

Narrator: but although The citadel looks the part,

It only covers 5 acres, About four football fields.

It's not big enough To be the great city

Homer describes.

Archaeologists continue Their search,

Convinced there's more to this Site than first meets the eye.

We started looking outside The walls of the citadel,

And we found This enormous lower city

Where there are Defensive systems

Surrounding bronze-age houses

And the pottery that The residents were using,

Which showed that the city was Far larger than we had expected.

Narrator: The lower city covers 75 acres

And is large enough For 10,000 inhabitants.

There were two main zones Of occupation -- the citadel,

Which is where the wealthy And powerful would have lived,

And the lower city, Which surrounds us,

Which is where the lower classes Would have lived.

Narrator: this groundbreaking Discovery proves this site

Really is big enough to be The magnificent city of troy.

♪♪

But is it old enough?

Experts believe Homer sets his story

Around the beginning Of the 13th century b.C.

But finding out if the age Of this city matches

Is a challenge.

Rose: excavating in the city is One of the most difficult things

That an archaeologist can do, Because it's not just one city,

But rather nine of them, One built on top of the other.

And when we dig down, We encounter a series of layers.

Each one is a different city.

And some lasted For a few decades,

And some lasted for A few centuries.

Narrator: archaeologists number The layers from one to nine.

Each layer is a city from A different period in history.

The city that we're interested In is from layers six and seven.

That coincides With the late bronze age,

With the 13th And 12th centuries b.C.

♪♪

Narrator: The magnificent citadel matches The date of the trojan war,

But there's one more piece Of the puzzle.

Is this powerful metropolis In the right location

To be homer's legendary city?

♪♪

Ancient texts locate troy In modern-day turkey,

East of greece and southwest Of the black sea,

Right on the aegean coast.

♪♪

Homer says the city overlooks The dardanelles strait

And sits at the mouth of A mighty river, the scamander.

♪♪

During the trojan war,

The greek fleet hides Behind the island of tenedos,

Putting troy Within striking distance.

♪♪

And legend has it That the gods watch the war

From mount ida,

The final clue In the hunt for troy.

♪♪

Rose: homer's description Of the geography of troy

Matches very closely This archaeological site.

The aegean is right over there.

The dardanelles is only 4 miles To the north.

The ida mountain's only 20 miles to the south,

And the island of tenedos Is just over there.

Narrator: the location fits.

The place is real.

This really is the legendary Lost city of troy.

But what can discoveries Around the walls tell us

About whether the epic trojan War actually takes place here?

Narrator: The legendary trojan war,

An epic siege that's said to end With a cunning trick --

A gift of a horse Full of warriors.

Archaeologists unearth The ruins of troy

In modern-day turkey.

Now they search For new evidence of the war

Around the city walls.

♪♪

Legend has it these mighty walls

Are the work of the gods Apollo and poseidon.

Thousands of large, Close-fitting limestone blocks

Form an impenetrable barrier.

At the height of troy's power, They're over 16 feet thick

And 32 feet high,

Taller on average Than the great wall of china.

Inside the walls, Archaeologists unearth

Piles of slingshot ammunition,

Classical siege defense weapons,

And outside, they find bronze Arrowheads and spearheads

More than 3,000 years old.

Are these missiles evidence Of the legendary siege of troy?

♪♪

Troy's site director Rustem aslan

Has been investigating This lost city for 30 years.

He's amazed to find Metal weapons here.

Finding bronze-age weapons

Confirms a bloody war Takes place here,

And the citadel's Solid, high walls

Show the trojans are prepared To withstand a siege.

But what about In the lower town,

Where most of The inhabitants live?

Is there evidence Of an attack here?

The ditch is an impressive feat Of bronze-age engineering.

It measures 13 feet wide And 8 feet deep,

Carved by hand Directly into the bedrock.

Fully completed, it runs The perimeter of the lower city,

About 7 1/2 miles.

Rustem believes there's only one Reason to dig a ditch this big,

To defend the city Against the ancient world's

Most terrifying weapon -- The chariot.

♪♪

The chariot is the tank Of the bronze age,

A lightweight, wheeled Wooden platform

Pulled by two or four horses.

[ horse neighs ]

One charioteer holds the reins, While a warrior

In full bronze armor Wields a long deadly spear.

♪♪

With a top speed Of almost 30 miles an hour,

A few chariots can decimate Infantry on an open battlefield.

[ battle cries ]

But a simple ditch With steep sides

Can stop a speeding chariot In its tracks.

[ horse neighs ]

♪♪

Troy's defensive ditch And strong walls

Show the city is designed to Withstand a well-equipped army,

Just as homer says.

But these defenses Are only half the story.

Historian nigel tallis is An expert in bronze age warfare.

He thinks troy's residents Can't afford to wait

For their city to be overrun By galloping chariots.

They must strike first.

If you sit inside your city, You're going to run out of food.

There's a danger of disease And plague.

As they say, the best form Of defense is attack.

You have to take the fight To the enemy.

Narrator: Nigel believes bands of trojan Warriors leave the city

To take on the enemy On the plains outside.

Sometimes their leaders Might engage each other

In single combat.

It's an age of kings And heroes and champions,

And this is the way You win a great name.

This is how you win Wealth and fortune,

Is through showing Your prowess in battle.

Narrator: in the bronze age, The outcome of such a duel

Can settle the entire war.

It's a practical way To avoid bloodshed.

Tallis: most of the soldiers are Militia, and they're conscripts.

These are your farmers

And people Who make things back at home.

You don't want them To be needlessly slaughtered.

Narrator: nigel investigates How the trojan champions

Might prepare for This life-or-death battle.

He works with historic weapons Expert hamish macleod,

Who builds replica Bronze-age armor.

This is made of solid plate.

In the time, It would have been bronze,

And this suit over here

Is made out of the individual Small plates

Sewn onto A leather bodice underneath.

Tallis: This amount of bronze

Would be fantastically Expensive.

Only the very richest and The most important warriors

Would have This sort of gear.

Narrator: as well as armor, the Fighters also protect themselves

With heavy shields.

So, this shield here is Big enough to hide behind.

It's also been covered With cowhide.

Incredibly tough.

And now, looking at this shield, Very distinctive shape.

Could I ask you, please, could You adopt the en garde position?

Now our warrior is getting The full protection width

Of that shield, But with that cutout,

He's now able to present His thrusting sword forward.

♪♪

Narrator: each soldier also Carries a sharp sword.

Macleod: it would have been Cast out of bronze.

Bronze is quite A brittle material.

If you hit it on the side, It will either bend or shatter.

That's not good.

The best way to get the sword To last in combat

Is to make sure you're always Fighting edge on edge.

Right.That's why this blade

Is a lot fatter in the center Than it is at the edge.

That's literally To give it strength.

Narrator: Each champion's aim is to find His opponent's weak spot.

Macleod: When we look at our character Here in his full plate armor,

We can see that, really, The only place

Where you're going To successfully take him out

Is here, the neck, The thrust here,

And that's what it's all about.

Narrator: nigel believes these Battles are short but deadly.

Tallis: the actual combat itself Might be over in seconds,

If you get a lucky shot.

Or it can go on for perhaps 10 minutes or so,

Until the stress and the heat Exhaustion takes its toll,

And you finish your enemy, Or your enemy finishes you.

Narrator: these bloody duels Don't end the trojan war.

The siege of troy goes on For 10 years.

But who are the attackers?

Are they greek, As the legend says?

Can evidence found near The coast reveal their identity?

Narrator: The ancient city of troy,

Scene of the epic trojan war.

[ battle cries, Swords clanging ]

Searching for truth In the legend,

Experts locate the city In modern turkey

And find the remains Of a deadly siege.

But who were the invaders?

Homer writes that a huge Greek army attacks troy.

What evidence is there That the army is really here?

♪♪

Close to the shoreline,

Investigators unearth A strange burial site

Of 95 bodies.

Huge clay jars contain Jumbled human skeletons.

♪♪

It's a traditional style Of burial in the bronze age.

♪♪

Nearby, carved beads, Seals, and fragments of pottery

Painted with ocher Date this graveyard

To the time of the trojan war,

But they are not trojan.

Can these be the graves Of troy's attackers?

♪♪

Archaeologist louise schofield Has been studying

The bronze age greeks For 40 years.

She investigates the area Where the burial site is found.

She thinks the shape of the bay Could be evidence

That homer's tale of an invading Greek army is true.

In the story, homer describes

How the greeks set up Their camp in a sheltered bay,

Protected on both sides By headlands,

And it has fresh water nearby,

Both for the people And the horses.

Narrator: Louise believes this location Perfectly fits that description.

Schofield: and if you look At where we are now,

You've got a lovely Sheltered bay

Protected by headlands And a water source nearby.

So it fits the account In the story very well.

Narrator: but is this really The site of an army camp?

A clue may lie in the types Of objects found here.

Schofield: When this area was excavated, Lots of burials were found,

Pottery, weapons, But no permanent structures.

So that suggests to me that It may well have been a campsite

Where people were living Without permanent structures

Because they had no idea

How long they were Going to be there.

♪♪

Narrator: louise investigates Whether any of the grave goods

Can reveal the identity Of these mysterious attackers.

Are they greek, as homer says?

Schofield: The pottery we see here Is the material that was found

In the excavations On one of the big headlands,

And it's very Distinctive pottery,

But it's surprising to find it In such quantities

On the shores of troy.

Narrator: as an expert On the ancient greeks,

Louise has seen These designs before.

This style of pottery exactly Matches the style of pottery

That we find at sites Like mycenae in greece.

♪♪

Narrator: At the time of the trojan war,

The mycenaens are A formidable people

Who control most Of southern greece

And the surrounding islands.

♪♪

Their capital city, mycenae,

Is a mighty fortress With huge walls

That legend says Can only be the work of giants.

♪♪

They lay the foundations For the ancient greek language,

And they produce Intricate pottery and metalwork.

♪♪

Their fearsome fleet Rules the aegean sea

And is easily able to sail The 200 miles to troy.

♪♪

Louise believes finding This much greek pottery

On the shores of troy Proves the greeks are here.

But why have they come?

In the legend, the war starts Because prince paris of troy

Runs away with the beautiful Greek queen, helen.

Schofield: Everybody loves the story,

And everybody loves A good romance,

But would the greeks Of the bronze age

Really have come here And started a war over a woman?

Narrator: louise thinks the war Might be less about love

And more about geography.

Schofield: just down here, This piece of water,

This is the dardanelles,

And it's the boundary Between asia and europe.

So on the far side of the water, We've got europe,

And on this side, we have asia.

Narrator: the dardanelles strait Connects the black sea

To the mediterranean.

Today, it's one of The most important

Shipping lanes in the world,

Carrying oil and 1/5 Of all the world's grain exports

From russia to africa And western europe.

Around 50,000 ships Pass through here every year.

In the bronze age, It would have been no different.

So this would have been A very busy waterway,

Ships from various Nationalities traveling

Through the dardanelles To get access to the black sea.

♪♪

Narrator: The site of troy is just 4 miles

From the entrance To the dardanelles.

It's a vital strategic location.

Close to troy Was the last safe harbor

Before entering Into the dardanelles

And going into the black sea.

And the greeks would wait there

For the winds to be In the right direction

And to get supplies and to make Any repairs to their ships.

Narrator: Troy is in the perfect place

To control this vital Trade route.

Its rulers take full advantage,

Levying a tax On any passing ships.

The city becomes rich And powerful,

An obvious target For the warlike greeks.

I think they probably felt Two things,

That, "A," they wanted To teach troy a lesson,

And "B," troy would have been A very rich prize

For them to take.

Narrator: for louise, this is The most likely reason

For the trojan war.

Schofield: although It's a lovely romantic story

That the greeks Came here for love,

They're much more likely To have come here

In search of wealth and riches.

Narrator: the evidence shows The story of the trojan war

Is based on real events.

But what can clues From deep below the city

Reveal about How the war plays out?

Does this epic siege really last 10 years, as homer says?

Narrator: The historic city of troy --

Not just a myth, But a real place,

Site of the real trojan war.

According to the story, this Epic battle rages for 10 years.

How can the city and its Inhabitants survive a siege

That lasts that long?

Rose: normally, troy had access To plenty of food and water.

There were fields That surrounded the site,

And two rivers that bordered it.

But what do you do If the greek army

Is camped outside Your battlements?

How do you survive Through a 10-year war?

♪♪

Narrator: In the search for clues,

Archaeologist brian rose Returns to troy's lower city.

Here, he investigates A mysterious entrance.

Looks like no one's been here For decades,

And I've never seen So many cobwebs in my life.

Narrator: whatever lies Behind the entrance

Is off-limits to visitors,

But brian's been given Unique access to investigate.

I can see a little bit of light.

So I should be able To navigate the corridor.

Narrator: brian wants To find out what's inside

And if it can explain How the trojans endure

A 10-year siege.

Rose: this is incredible.

Narrator: a long, dark tunnel Stretches deep

Into an underground world.

Could this be the key To how the trojans survive?

Rose: I can see water,

Not terribly much of it, But there is some.

Narrator: the claustrophobic Labyrinth runs for over 500 feet

Right beneath the city.

♪♪

Brian believes it's not An escape tunnel,

But a vast Underground reservoir.

♪♪

It's summer now, So the level is low,

But in the wet season, This would be full of water.

The water comes from An underground water source,

As well as from rainwater That collects in the cave

Through several holes In the ceiling

And then ushers out Through the mouth of the cave.

Narrator: the tunnel could Supply the inhabitants of troy

With all the fresh water They need.

What this means is that If there had been a siege,

The residents would have had Plenty of fresh water

To survive, no matter How long the siege lasted.

Narrator: The trojans have enough water To hold out for 10 years,

Just as homer describes.

But how do they get enough food?

The answer may lie In objects unearthed

Back in the upper citadel.

♪♪

Rose: these enormous storage Vessels are called pithoi.

They were designed To hold grain primarily,

But also lentils, dried fruits, And other foodstuffs.

Narrator: the residents bury the Jars in the ground to save space

And protect the contents From the hot sun.

Some of these storage vessels Are over 6 feet tall,

And in one of the houses,

We found as many as 23 pithoi Sunk into the floor.

Narrator: brian believes These underground larders

Could explain how the trojans Are able to survive

Being cut off From the outside world.

Rose: the fact That they had so many of these

Suggests that the residents Were concerned about surviving

A very long siege And having enough to eat.

Narrator: These storage jars mean The trojans can last for months

Or even years without Running out of food.

♪♪

But experts believe Surviving a siege is about more

Than just holding out Until the enemy gives up.

It's about fighting back.

♪♪

The trojan defenders Sneak out at night...

[ battle cries ]

...To seize or destroy The invaders' weapons...

♪♪

...And they target The greek fleet...

♪♪

...Attacking and wrecking Their ships.

♪♪

But the greeks are still Determined to take the city.

They attack with siege towers, Battering rams, and ladders.

♪♪

They even consider Building earth ramps

To get their forces Over troy's mighty walls.

But does this war of attrition Really go on

For 10 straight years, As the story says?

Brian believes homer bases His tale not on one epic siege,

But a series of wars.

Rose: homer describes the trojan War as lasting for 10 years,

But this is probably Just dramatic license.

We typically speak Of one trojan war,

But in fact, there were many,

Lasting probably For two centuries,

From about 1400 to 1200.

Narrator: for the defenders, These repeated short attacks

Have one advantage --

They don't need enough food To last a full 10 years.

During this period, there would Have been opportunities

For the trojans To restock the settlement,

Because the wars Would not have continued

For that entire period.

♪♪

Narrator: the evidence Unearthed at troy shows

That the trojan war Really happens.

But does it end with a cunning Trick, as the legend says?

Can cutting-edge Computer modeling

Finally reveal the truth About the trojan horse?

Narrator: The tale of the trojan war --

One of the most famous Stories in history.

Archaeologists have shown there Really is a war here at troy.

But how does it end?

♪♪

According to the legend, After 10 long years,

The greeks appear To abandon their siege.

They leave behind an offering,

A gigantic wooden horse,

But this gift hides A deadly secret.

♪♪

Stuffed inside Are 30 greek warriors,

Taking up all available space.

♪♪

They hope they can Fool the trojans

Into taking them into the city.

♪♪

Can there be any truth In this legend?

Archaeologist louise schofield Searches for evidence

That the trojans might really Fall for the famous trick.

Chilling remains found in The citadel hint at an answer.

Schofield: During the excavations at troy,

Dozens and dozens of Horse skeletons were found,

Of which these are two skulls.

The fact that we found so many

Is really unusual For a bronze age site,

And it backs up The importance of horses

To the culture of the trojans.

Narrator: Horses are a significant part of Bronze age culture and economy.

They also play A vital religious role.

People make statues of them Or even sacrifice them

To seek favor from the gods.

It would make perfect sense That the greeks would leave

A large statue of a wooden horse On the plains of troy

As an offering to their gods.

Also, given the importance Of the horse to the trojans,

You can see why they would want To bring it without their city

And offer it To their goddess themselves.

Narrator: but the legend says That in just three days,

The greeks build a horse Big enough to conceal

Around 30 warriors.

Could such a feat be possible For bronze age engineers?

A clue could lie in the nearby Town of canakkale.

When hollywood decided to make Their epic movie "Troy,"

This is the way That they envisaged

The famous trojan horse As looking,

Made of the remains of Several dismembered greek ships.

Narrator: the greeks are expert Engineers and boat-builders.

Louise believes they used this Incredible ship-building talent

To break the terrible siege Of troy.

Schofield: I don't think they Could have built a wooden horse

From scratch in just three days, But they had their warships,

And they could have dismantled Those to build such a horse.

♪♪

Narrator: but is this Replica horse the right size?

Schofield: Wow. This thing is huge.

It's nearly 40 feet tall.

I wonder if it would have needed To be this big

To house 30 greek warriors

Or whether it's a hollywood Exaggeration.

♪♪

Narrator: At nottingham trent university, England, head of engineering

Neil mansfield gears up to Undertake a unique experiment

To investigate how big The trojan horse has to be.

Mansfield: question is, can we Really build a wooden horse

That will fit 30 men

And to get it through Those gates to the city of troy?

Narrator: neil starts with A modern-day comparison.

Okay. So we're going to be Getting into the van.

Narrator: He wants to know what size Vehicle will hold 30 people.

-in you come. -sorry.

Narrator: He estimates this empty van

Could be a good starting point For the body of the horse.

21, 22.

We've only got 22 crammed Into this van.

So if you make it even bigger To fit 30 in,

It's going to be enormous.

I can feel the heat Already up here.

♪♪

Narrator: neil wants to know What size the horse needs to be

And whether it will Fit through the city gates.

See what you're up to.

He works with human ergonomist John lovegrove.

So how big does a trojan horse Need to be

To fit 30 Greek soldiers inside?

That's a really Good question.

The first thing you have to do Is think about the size

Of the people Inside the horse.

Skeletal remains show That 3,000 years ago,

The average greek soldier Was around 5'7" tall.

They would be fit, Smaller than today.

Next, john works out how the Greeks would design their horse.

He bases his model on a ship.

In this model, I've placed A boat hull inside the horse

And then sat the greek soldiers Side-by-side

Down both Sides of the boat,

And in the center, We are able to put a third row.

And while the soldiers Are in here,

They probably wouldn't Be wearing their armor?

No.

Storing their armor separately Would keep the warriors cool

And prevent them from Being heard by the trojans.

So if we put them all together, How big is it?

We have an approximate height Of 5 meters

To the back of the horse,

And then 6, 6 1/2 meters To the head.

15, 20 feet, That's pretty big.

Yeah, it's huge, yeah.Yeah.

Question is, Would that fit through

The gates of troy?

Archaeologists think The main gate at troy

Is about 13 feet wide And 16 feet high,

With a mud-brick arch Over the top.

At 20 feet tall, John's design is too big.

But he believes With some adjustments,

The trojan horse Could be a success.

It could have been That the trojans removed

The top Of the gates of troy

To allow the horse To pass through,

Or I personally think That it was actually

A much smaller group Of soldiers.

According to the story, All this squad needs to do

Is overpower the guards And open the city gates.

So you're saying With fewer soldiers,

We get a smaller horse.

It fits through the gate, And that would have worked.

Yes.

John's new design shows The ingenious trojan horse

Really could be The stealth weapon

That ends The brutal siege of troy.

Maybe there weren't 30 soldiers Inside the trojan horse.

Maybe it was a smaller number. But we can't forget,

These greeks, they were Outstanding engineers.

They knew what they were doing,

And I think They could have done it.

Narrator: building a big Wooden horse is one thing.

Tricking the trojans into taking It into their city is another.

♪♪

According to legend, After the greeks retreat,

The trojans come out to admire The mysterious horse.

[ applause, crowd chattering ]

Laocoon, a trojan priest, Suspects greek foul play

And hurls a spear at the horse

To prove there are men Hidden inside.

But suddenly, two giant serpents Emerge from the sea...

[ man screaming ]

Narrator: ...And kill laocoon And his sons.

Aah!

♪♪

Worried about angering the gods,

The trojans accept the horse As a gift

And drag it inside.

[ ropes creaking ]

Myths like this Are often based in truth.

Bronze-age societies Frequently give horses as gifts.

But does this greek gift Of a horse

Succeed in tricking the trojans?

Can new archaeological evidence

Reveal what really happens In troy's final hours?

♪♪

Narrator: troy --

Setting of the legendary Trojan war.

Archaeological evidence shows The city and the war are real,

And the iconic trojan horse Could also be based in truth.

But how does it all end?

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According to the story,

The unsuspecting trojans Accept their gift

And bring it within The city walls.

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But under the cover of darkness,

Its stowaways emerge.

A small squad of warriors Cannot take the city alone.

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All they must do is open The gates for the greek army

That has approached The walls in secret.

[ battle cries ]

Taking the trojans by surprise,

They storm the city And set fire to it.

Does this furtive act Spell the end for troy?

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Archaeologist brian rose Wants to find out

What really happens next.

Is the mighty city burnt To the ground

By an attacking army As the story says?

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When brian and his team Dig into the city's remains,

They find a clue.

When we first came here To excavate,

The entire area Was completely covered,

But over the course of the dig,

We found a thick Destruction level,

Up to 4 feet high In some places,

In which we found Blackened earth,

Burned wood probably from The roof of the building.

You don't see it now because, of Course, it's all been excavated.

Narrator: the charred layer Shows this city is destroyed

By a major fire, Just as homer describes.

But what happens To its heroic defenders?

In the story, the trojans are Massacred by the greek invaders.

In this area, as well As at the south gate

And at the east gate, Skeletons have been found.

Two skulls at the south gate, A full skeleton here,

Part of a skeleton At the east gate,

And what's unusual Is that they weren't buried.

Narrator: does the way These people are left unburied

Show they're slaughtered By an attacking army?

The fact that they weren't Buried in these three cases

Means that there was no one Around to bury them,

And they were all at gates.

So it seems reasonable that They were defending the city

And died during an attack.

Narrator: the brave trojan Warriors fight to the death

Defending their city, Just as homer says.

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Troy may be destroyed, But its story doesn't end here.

A few settlers return To live in the ruins,

And later, a new city Is built on top.

♪♪

In 750 b.C., homer writes His epic tale

And puts troy on the map.

The resident of the city Sell the city

As the location Of the trojan war,

And the tourist industry Takes off.

Narrator: The persian king xerxes,

On his way to conquer greece In the 5th century b.C.,

Visits the must-see site.

And the greek king Alexander the great

Comes here 100 years later on His way to attack the persians.

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Rose: then, as well as now,

The trojan war stands as an Endless source of fascination.

Narrator: but the famous city's Fortunes don't last forever.

After a series of earthquakes In the 5th century,

The site is abandoned, And its location is lost.

Troy's story passes into legend,

It's name assumed to be No more than fiction...

Until now.

Not all of the details In homer's "Iliad" are true.

Many of them are mythological,

But homer was writing about A real city,

And this is that city.

Narrator: the city of troy, Its legend recorded

In one of the most famous tales Ever written,

A mighty fortress, A bloody siege

Won with a cunning trick.

For thousands of years,

This story is thought to be Just a fairytale,

But now the truth is revealed.

♪♪

The trojan war is real,

And so is The historic city of troy.

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