DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.959#0089
INTRODUCTION.
31
Of the walls and fortifications of the Greek, colony,
almost the only portions that have been preserved are those
which were apparently built by Lysimachus. The lower and
prominent portion of the wall of the Tower belongs to more
ancient times, probably to the beginning of the Greek colony.
Of great political convulsions or catastrophes there seem
now to have been but few or none at all; for the accumulation
of debris during the long duration of the Greek colony,
about io£ centuries, amounts only to 2 meters (6i feet).
Curiously enough, I find extremely little metal in the
dibris of the Greek colony. Half-a-dozen scythe-shaped
knives, a double-edged axe, about two dozen nails, a cup,
a few lances and arrows, are pretty nearly all that I
discovered. I have described these objects in my memoirs
as made of copper; but upon a more careful examina-
tion they have been found to be bronze, and pure
copper is no longer met with in the Greek colony.
The only objects of iron which I found were a key of
curious shape, and a few arrows and nails, close to the surface.
From Homer we know that the Trojans also possessed
iron, as well as the metal which he calls /cuavos, and which,
even in antiquity, was translated by ^aXu«/> (steel). I am
sure, however, that I have not discovered even a trace of
this metal, either among the Trojan ruins or among those
of any of the other nations which preceded the Greek
colony on the hill.* Yet articles of iron and steel may
have existed: I believe positively that they did exist: but
they have vanished without leaving a trace of their existence;
for, as we know, iron and steel become decomposed much
more readily than copper. Of tin, which Homer so re-
peatedly mentions, I found of course no trace : this metal,
as we know, is corroded very rapidly even when lying in
a dry locality. Lead is found in the ruins of all the dif-
* It will be seen, however, from the analysis of M. Damour,
'hat traces of iron (probably in the state of an ore) are found in one of
the sling-bullets discovered by Dr. Schliemann.—[Ed.]
31
Of the walls and fortifications of the Greek, colony,
almost the only portions that have been preserved are those
which were apparently built by Lysimachus. The lower and
prominent portion of the wall of the Tower belongs to more
ancient times, probably to the beginning of the Greek colony.
Of great political convulsions or catastrophes there seem
now to have been but few or none at all; for the accumulation
of debris during the long duration of the Greek colony,
about io£ centuries, amounts only to 2 meters (6i feet).
Curiously enough, I find extremely little metal in the
dibris of the Greek colony. Half-a-dozen scythe-shaped
knives, a double-edged axe, about two dozen nails, a cup,
a few lances and arrows, are pretty nearly all that I
discovered. I have described these objects in my memoirs
as made of copper; but upon a more careful examina-
tion they have been found to be bronze, and pure
copper is no longer met with in the Greek colony.
The only objects of iron which I found were a key of
curious shape, and a few arrows and nails, close to the surface.
From Homer we know that the Trojans also possessed
iron, as well as the metal which he calls /cuavos, and which,
even in antiquity, was translated by ^aXu«/> (steel). I am
sure, however, that I have not discovered even a trace of
this metal, either among the Trojan ruins or among those
of any of the other nations which preceded the Greek
colony on the hill.* Yet articles of iron and steel may
have existed: I believe positively that they did exist: but
they have vanished without leaving a trace of their existence;
for, as we know, iron and steel become decomposed much
more readily than copper. Of tin, which Homer so re-
peatedly mentions, I found of course no trace : this metal,
as we know, is corroded very rapidly even when lying in
a dry locality. Lead is found in the ruins of all the dif-
* It will be seen, however, from the analysis of M. Damour,
'hat traces of iron (probably in the state of an ore) are found in one of
the sling-bullets discovered by Dr. Schliemann.—[Ed.]