What is the conventional archaeological date of Troy (Hisarlık, Türkiye), and what alternative dates have been proposed?

Conventional date: UNESCO says the site has 4,000 years of history. Its main walls and gates date mostly from the phases called Troy II and Troy VI. Alternative proposals: Contested: Frank Kolb (2004): Only a small trading role? Historian Frank Kolb argues that Late Bronze Age Troy was not a big trading center. He points to few imported goods and no signs of writing, seals or trade buildings on the mound. In his words, "Troy's role in trade was peripheral and restricted to the Aegean." He also doubts the evidence for a large walled lower town. Contested: Easton, Hawkins and the Sherratts (2002): A defense of the dig leader: In 2001 the dig leader, Manfred Korfmann, faced sharp criticism from colleagues, mostly through the press. Critics said he overstated Troy's role as a capital and trading center. Four scholars reviewed the dispute after a 2002 meeting at Tübingen. They concluded that "the criticisms of Korfmann are themselves considerably exaggerated." UNESCO's summary: How big was the lower town? UNESCO's page says a lower town lay south of the mound and reached about 30 hectares in the Late Bronze Age. Kolb disputes the evidence for a large lower town. Both views are given here without a verdict. Open question: The Troy of Homer? Kolb notes that love of Homer's Iliad has long shaped how scholars read this site. The sources on this page do not settle whether this was the city of the Trojan War story.

What has been measured at Troy (Hisarlık, Türkiye) in peer-reviewed studies?

Walls and gates: UNESCO says digs have found 23 stretches of the citadel's defensive walls and eleven gates. They also found a paved stone ramp and the lower parts of five towers. Most of these date from Troy II and Troy VI. A long dig history: Heinrich Schliemann began the first dig here in 1870. UNESCO counts 24 digging seasons over about 140 years. A Greek and Roman city on top: The later city of Ilion stood on the same spot. Its remains include a temple of Athena, a small concert hall and a council house. Who digs there now: A 2002 review says teams from the universities of Tübingen and Cincinnati had worked at Troy together for the past 15 years. Troy is an ancient city mound called Hisarlık in northwest Türkiye. It lies near the mouth of the Dardanelles strait. People built city after city here, each on top of the last. Scholars agree on that long, layered history. They disagree about how big and how important Troy was in the Late Bronze Age.

What are the stone types, heaviest block masses, and quarry transport distances at Troy (Hisarlık, Türkiye)?

These are not reported in the sources cited on this page.

Sites › Asia › Troy (Hisarlık, Türkiye)

Troy (Hisarlık, Türkiye)

📍 Where It Is Hisarlık, northwest Türkiye 39.9564°, 26.2390°

🏛️ Mainstream Date About 4,000 years of history; main walls from Troy II and VI (UNESCO) Excavated baseline

🧭 Leading Edge / Open Angle Contested: trading hub or minor player? (Kolb vs Easton et al.) Debated or newly revised

🪨 Heaviest Stone & Quarry Stone weights not reported in our sources Compare all 78 sites →

30-SECOND TAKEAWAY

In Plain English — The 30-Second Takeaway

What It Is:

A mound of ancient cities built one on top of another in northwest Türkiye.

What Everyone Agrees On (Measured Facts):

Digs found 23 wall sections and eleven gates. Most date from Troy II and Troy VI.

🏛️ Mainstream Archaeology View:

Scholars agree Troy was lived in for thousands of years. Its size and trade role in the Late Bronze Age are disputed.

🧭 Leading Edge View:

Kolb argues Troy's trade was small and local. Easton and colleagues say the criticism of the dig leader went too far.

Site Story & Overview

Troy is an ancient city mound called Hisarlık in northwest Türkiye. It lies near the mouth of the Dardanelles strait.

▸ Read Full Archaeological & Engineering Context

People built city after city here, each on top of the last. Scholars agree on that long, layered history. They disagree about how big and how important Troy was in the Late Bronze Age.

✓ What Is Physically Measured on Site

Dated samples, laser scans, stone weights, and dug finds kept separate from opinion.

Walls and gates: UNESCO says digs have found 23 stretches of the citadel's defensive walls and eleven gates. They also found a paved stone ramp and the lower parts of five towers. Most of these date from Troy II and Troy VI. [1]
A long dig history: Heinrich Schliemann began the first dig here in 1870. UNESCO counts 24 digging seasons over about 140 years. [1]
A Greek and Roman city on top: The later city of Ilion stood on the same spot. Its remains include a temple of Athena, a small concert hall and a council house. [1]
Who digs there now: A 2002 review says teams from the universities of Tübingen and Cincinnati had worked at Troy together for the past 15 years. [2]

🏛️ Mainstream Archaeological View

Accepted timeline: UNESCO says the site has 4,000 years of history. Its main walls and gates date mostly from the phases called Troy II and Troy VI.
Stone & hardness: Not reported in the sources on this page. Mohs hardness: not reported in our sources.
Quarry distance & alignment: Stone source not reported in the sources on this page. Orientation: Not reported in the sources on this page.

🧭 Leading Edge Proposal & Open Questions

Contested: Frank Kolb (2004): Only a small trading role? Historian Frank Kolb argues that Late Bronze Age Troy was not a big trading center. He points to few imported goods and no signs of writing, seals or trade buildings on the mound. In his words, "Troy's role in trade was peripheral and restricted to the Aegean." He also doubts the evidence for a large walled lower town. [3]
Contested: Easton, Hawkins and the Sherratts (2002): A defense of the dig leader: In 2001 the dig leader, Manfred Korfmann, faced sharp criticism from colleagues, mostly through the press. Critics said he overstated Troy's role as a capital and trading center. Four scholars reviewed the dispute after a 2002 meeting at Tübingen. They concluded that "the criticisms of Korfmann are themselves considerably exaggerated." [2]
UNESCO's summary: How big was the lower town? UNESCO's page says a lower town lay south of the mound and reached about 30 hectares in the Late Bronze Age. Kolb disputes the evidence for a large lower town. Both views are given here without a verdict. [1][3]
Open question: The Troy of Homer? Kolb notes that love of Homer's Iliad has long shaped how scholars read this site. The sources on this page do not settle whether this was the city of the Trojan War story. [3]

Primary Academic Sources

▸ View All Cited Primary Sources & DOIs (3 papers)

UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Archaeological Site of Troy (list no. 849), accessed 2 November 2026 https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/849 background
Easton, D. F., Hawkins, J. D., Sherratt, A. G. & Sherratt, E. S. (2002). Troy in recent perspective. Anatolian Studies 52: 75–109. doi:10.2307/3643078 data
Kolb, F. (2004). Troy VI: A Trading Center and Commercial City? American Journal of Archaeology 108(4): 577–613. doi:10.3764/aja.108.4.577 critique

Dates and stone checks are summed up in plain English from the papers above. Measured facts stay separate from opinion. Methodology.