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Chapter 2 (part 14)
Layer VI: the Mycenaean castle, continued (p.175).
We
have already mentioned the various paths that led from the gates to the
three or four terraces of the interior of the castle when discussing
the gates and the individual buildings. But they still deserve special
consideration. After passing through the gates, one could first reach
the wide gallery on the right and left, which separated the outer
castle wall from the first row of buildings. We do not know whether
this path originally went around the entire hill. In any case, it was
later interrupted by individual buildings (e.g. by VI A). A number of
steeply ascending paths led to the upper terraces of the interior of
the castle. We found three of these radially directed ramps in I 5, D 8
and B 7; others will certainly have existed, but some have been
destroyed and some have not yet been discovered. Finally, between the
individual houses, there were still narrow streets, some of which ran
radially, some concentrically.
The technical production of these
different pathways was very simple. We have only found paving with
stone slabs in the southern and eastern gates. In the latter it was
originally not present at all and later only for a short distance. The
uphill path in D 8 was paved with small stones and lime, the other two
ramp paths with small stones and earth. For the rest, no particular
preparation of the paths has been observed, their surface is made of
hard-packed earth.
Finally, from the sixth layer facilities, we
still have to discuss the wells. The Trojans have always taken their
water not from cisterns, but from fountains and scoops. Natural springs
can still be found in several places at the foot of the ridge, at the
end of which the castle is located. They will also have supplied
drinking water in antiquity.
When discussing the lower town,
we shall enumerate the running wells which are now dug in front of
these springs and which in some cases still supply plenty of water.
However, since these water places are outside the VI Castle, drinking
water also had to be procured for the interior of the castle. This was
done by deep wells that lie within the ring wall and reach down through
the upper rock into the water-bearing rock strata. While (p.176) in the
older settlements we have not found wells of this kind, in the VI
stratum we found three, as well as several more in the younger
strata.
 We have already described the largest of these founts
(Bb), the stately structure within the north-east tower VI g, when
discussing this tower and presented it in drawings (cf. the floor plan
in fig.51 and the section in fig.53). A second well (Bc), also
definitely belonging to layer VI, has been discovered in the broad path
between building VI F and the eastern castle wall. Its section is
published in fig.66.
Fig.66 (left): Section through Well Bc.
Fig.67 (right): Section through well Ba.
At
the top we found two superimposed portions of large pithoi (c and d)
walled with small stones. Underneath, a round well (c-b) made of small
stones, almost 4.50 m deep, came to light, which was covered at the top
with a thicker slab. At an even greater depth, the well shaft was
carved into the rock (b-a). We cleared it to a depth of almost 6m (to
a) but then had to stop work because one of the workers nearly got
killed by some stones that had come loose from the upper masonry, and
more stones threatened to fall down.
In order to prevent the
well from collapsing, we even felt compelled to fill it in almost
completely. Therefore, although we do not know how deep the shaft is,
we cannot doubt that it reached down into the aquifers and supplied
water in ancient times. Based on the altitude and the content of the
well, we were able to determine that the well was used in the VII
layer. In the 1st period of this stratum it lay, as we shall see later,
in the middle of a large paved (p.177) well square and probably formed
the center of the settlement at that time.
On closer inspection
of the structure, however, it was clear that the two pithoi on top were
not originally there and that the well originally belonged to a lower
floor, namely that of layer VI. Apparently the 2m lower stone slab c
formed its upper end at that time. Only after the destruction of the
houses of the VI layer, when the floor had risen significantly due to
the mass of rubble, was the mouth raised with the help of the two
pithoi and the square paved with large stone slabs was created around
the fountain. We do not know whether there was already plaster around
the well in layer VI. We would have had to destroy the subsequent
pavement to determine this. The well was filled in either in the 2nd
period of the VII stratum or immediately afterwards. In the VIII and IX
layers it had disappeared under the floor.
Unfortunately, the
age of the third well (Ba), one of the most interesting monuments of
Ilion, cannot be judged with absolute certainty. With some probability
it is assigned to the VI layer, but we must reckon with the possibility
that it is from a younger period. In any case, it was modified in Greek
times and was still used in the 9th stratum.
In Plan III it can
be found between the building VI O and the large tower VI g or between
the temple IX P and the altar IX Z. As the section in the fig.67 shows,
it consists of a brick quadrangular shaft of about 13 m depth and an
extension of 1.50 m depth dug into the rock.
At the height of
c. 33, 50m above sea level, a lateral underground passage comes into
the shaft, coming from the north and lying about 3m below the upper
floor of the IX stratum. At this height, one must assume, the well was
once finished. The entrance remained at the old height when, after
raising the floor, the well was raised further to make it usable from
the new floor around the Temple of Athena.
At that time a
small round marble temple was built as the new (p.178) mouth of the
shaft, the stones of which we found in the well. This structure not
only gave the fountain a special decoration, but also, as it seems to
me, characterized it as a valuable old building. In fig.67 the rounded
building is drawn in the completed state in section. We will present
its exact form when describing the buildings of the IX layer.
 Figs.68
and 69 are also intended to illustrate the new upper closure of the
well and the position of the underground access, one of which shows a
north-south cross-section through the well and a longitudinal section
through the subterranean access, while the other shows a cross-section
through the latter. In all these drawings the parts that have been
preserved are dark, those that have been added are hatched lighter.
Fig.68 clearly shows that the well was accessible both from the
entrance below and from the round temple above.
Fig.68: Longitudinal section through the entrance to the well B a.
We have not been
able to determine why the older entrance was retained as an underground
passage after the construction of the round temple. As far as we can
imagine and assess the condition of the building at that time, this
access was completely superfluous and could have been omitted. Instead
it has been led as a covered path about 10 m long to the northern slope
of the hill. It is no longer possible to see from the ruins how one
could climb down to it from above. The fact that the corridor was
roofed is not directly proven (p.179) by the building remains, but I
think I can be sure based on the height conditions.
 Returning to
the well-shaft itself, it can be seen from fig.67 that the square
shaft, in so far as it is bricked, is made of good, mostly rectangular
limestone, neatly worked and carefully fitted together. A technical
peculiarity is also very obvious in the drawing. Wooden frames were
placed both at the point where the masonry rests on the rock and at a
slightly higher height, which can still be clearly seen and of which
even small remains of wood were found during the excavation.
Fig.69: Cross-section through the entrance to well B a.
We
also found horizontal wooden beams on the outside of stone masonry in
other Trojan buildings, such as the retaining wall of VI F (cf. p.
164). In the case of walls made of small, irregular stones and poor
subsoil, such longitudinal beams are understandable, they contribute to
the strength of the masonry. In a good ashlar wall resting on the rock,
however, a wooden beam or frame is not only superfluous but downright
injurious. The construction can only be explained by the fact that the
builders, as is well known, adhere to construction methods that were
justified and practical in the past, but no longer fit the new
conditions. Incidentally, the arrangement of similar wooden beams still
occurs today in the Troad when making wells.
The excellent
masonry of the shaft, if found in Greece, would be mistaken for a
structure of the 5th or 6th century BC. However, since it is similar to
the retaining wall of building VI E (cf. photo 25) and also somewhat to
the wall of Tower VI h (cf. Fig.48), we may perhaps consider it older
and allocate to the VI layer. In fact, the beautiful and solid well,
although it differs in shape and construction from the other two wells
of the VI layer, fits very well with the structures of our Mycenaean
castle.
Admittedly, at the height of the subterranean entrance
and especially in this itself, there are several large, quite regular
blocks, which by no means belong to the Mycenaean period, but certainly
belong to the Greek or Roman period. In this respect, the orthostats
and floor slabs of the subterranean access (cf. fig.69) are
particularly important. It seems to me quite impossible to take them
for plants of the VI stratum. Therefore, if the well really extends to
the time of the VI Castle, it can only be its lower part. The whole of
the upper part, as far as it is drawn in fig.68, must necessarily be of
more recent origin.
We arrive at the same conclusion as to the
age of the well by comparing its height figures with the floor heights
of the various strata. Next to our well, north-east of building VI Q,
the floor of the VI layer was about 32m above sea level and can have
risen to a maximum of 33m (p.180) during the existence of the VI
castle.
Further south, inside building VI Q, the floor was
probably at least 2m higher at the time. Our well, which is located in
front of the VI Q building, can therefore only belong to the VI layer
if its upper end was at a height of between 32 and 33 m. But this is
only possible if the whole upper part of the well is a later addition,
as we already assumed above. The underground access to the well, which
at 33.50m is slightly higher than the bottom of layer VI, must
therefore be younger than this layer.
If we are allowed to
calculate the upper part from Greek or Roman times, but possibly the
lower part from the sixth layer, we first have to ask ourselves whether
there is a specific spot in the well shaft where the younger
construction meets the older . We have so far searched in vain for such
a position. There is a difference in construction methods, but no
definite dividing line can be identified.
We must then ask
ourselves the question of when the upper part will have been built. The
fact that the underground entrance is older than the marble round
temple seems to me to be completely certain, because otherwise it
cannot be explained at all. Since the upper floor in the vicinity of
the rotunda must already have been at about the same height in the
Hellenistic period as it showed later, namely c. 36.60 m above the sea,
it is most likely that the underground access in of the older Greek
period. Admittedly, it must still remain doubtful whether it was given
its present form at that time or only later. The large orthostats made
of hard porous rock could very well have been erected when the
Hellenistic temples were erected.
Unfortunately, a comparison
with the other wells found on the castle hill does not allow us to come
to a firm conclusion about the age of our well. The more recent wells
such as B d in E 9, B e in C 7, B f in B 5 and B g between G 5 and C 4
are all round and do not show as good masonry as our system. Only the
large well B b of the VI layer is square, while the second well of the
VI castle (B c) is round and also has a simpler design. Although it is
at least possible that our beautiful well shaft was already built in
the VI layer, the possibility must also be admitted that the whole
complex only belongs to the Greek period.
Finally, it is
interesting to list the various objects that we found inside this well.
In addition to stones and earth, the following came to light: the
blocks of the round temple and other structural elements, large
inscription stones and a colossal marble head, many late clay wares and
some marble fragments, several bull skulls and deer antlers, human and
animal bones, pieces of wood and pine cones. The latter objects had
evidently been preserved by lying (p.181) permanently in water and thus
not being exposed to the air. Unfortunately, none of these objects can
be used to date the well, they only prove that it remained open until
the time of the destruction of the Roman buildings. We found water at
the very bottom of the shaft, and I have always seen water in it on my
subsequent visits to the excavation site. In the same way, the well
will also have supplied plenty of water in antiquity.
At the end
of our description of the buildings of the sixth layer, if we take
another look back at the facilities of this stately castle, which was
also glorified by Homeric poems, we see before us a mighty curtain wall
with a superstructure that initially consisted of air bricks and later
of stone. The solid stone base is not built in the same way on the
different sides of the castle hill, in the east and especially in the
south it has particularly large and well-worked stones. Several strong
and projecting towers served to flank the wall. The interior of the
castle could be entered through at least three larger gates and a gate.
One of the former was walled up before the castle was destroyed.
A
large number of the remains of the numerous interior buildings have
been found, but most of them have been completely destroyed. The
preserved buildings represent individual houses that do not have any
common walls, but are separated by wide and narrow paths. We may assume
that all the buildings were situated on concentrically arranged
terraces that rose towards the center of the castle. We do not know
what was on the highest point of the hill, because only the lowest
outer terraces are reasonably preserved. The lower concentric ways can
be seen, as well as pieces of the radially directed ramps that led to
the higher terraces of the interior. A few wells, from which the
inhabitants of the castle drew their water, have also been preserved.
In the next few sections we will get to know the equipment and other
items of equipment in the dwellings, insofar as they have become known
through the excavations.
This stately castle has been thoroughly
destroyed by enemy hands. Not only were the traces of a great fire
visible in many places, but above all the upper parts of the castle
wall and the gates and especially the walls of the inner buildings
suffered violent destruction, which can neither have been caused by a
conflagration nor by an earthquake.
However, the burn marks
are not nearly as general and conspicuous as in the II layer, because
the building material of the VI layer offered less fuel to the fire
than the mudbrick and wooden buildings of the II castle, but
Despite their excellent construction, the destruction of the inner buildings had
been so thorough that we would probably have found nothing more of them
if they had not had good foundations and strong retaining walls which
were not visible and so escaped destruction (p.182).
The many
house walls themselves, insofar as they were once above ground, have
almost completely disappeared and only a few stones remained in place.
Admittedly, the Romans also destroyed some of the walls together with
their foundations when building the large temple area in the middle of
the castle, and one could therefore also attribute the demolition of
the walls of the houses we found to them. But the Romans did not get as
far as the buildings on the lower terraces in their planning work. Only
in a few places did the foundations of their buildings reach down to
the VI layer buildings, even on the edge of the hill. The latter were
then already buried under pre-Greek and Greek buildings. So their
destruction can only be ascribed to the destruction of the castle at
the end of layer VI.
The fact that the castle wall was not
destroyed as thoroughly as the inner building is due on the one hand to
its excellent construction, because it would have been too tedious work
to demolish a 4-5 m thick wall made of large stones. On the other hand,
we owe it to the circumstances that the stones of the broken upper wall
probably covered the lower part, thus hiding it from the eyes of the
destroyers. The complete demolition of the north-western part of the
castle wall did not take place when Castle VI was taken, but only a few
centuries later, as we have already explained above on the basis of the
facts and the testimony of Strabo (cf. p. 112).
We cannot
determine the exact time of the capture and destruction of the VI
Castle based on the uncovered buildings and the finds made in them. We
only know that the sixth layer, due to the occurrence of Mycenaean
pottery, certainly belongs to the time of the Mycenaean culture, i.e.
to the second half of the II millennium.
From the condition of
the ruins and layers of earth it could also be inferred that the
duration of the sixth layer must have been quite long. On the one hand,
all the walls that were above ground during the existence of the VI
Castle and were exposed to the effects of the weather were very badly
weathered, and on the other hand, the floor between the individual
buildings has experienced a large and apparently gradual lifting in
several places; both clear signs of the long existence of the castle.
In
addition, it is important for the dating that the import of Mycenaean
vessels continued in the 1st period of the VII stratum. However, it is
impossible to state a specific number of centuries for the duration of
the VI stratum. It is only an estimate if we have delimited the epoch
of the VI layer above (p. 31) with the numbers 1500-1000 BC. Both the
beginning and the end can shift by one or even several centuries. In
order to clearly express the uncertainty of the estimate, we chose
round numbers. In conclusion, it should not go unmentioned that this
dating is in accordance with the previous planning of the Trojan War
and the destruction of the castle by the Greeks.
[Continue to Chapter 2, part 15]
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