Digging for Troy: From Homer to Hisarlik

by Eric H. Cline

Overview

The fall of Troy is a legend that has been passed down for thousands of generations. It is the tale of an epic war, brave heroes, meddling gods and goddesses, and the face that launched a thousand ships. Although some have questioned whether Troy was ever anything more than a legend, the Iliad has inspired many to go searching for proof of Troy’s existence.

Jill Rubalcaba and Eric H. Cline first offer an abridged version of the Iliad before delving into the many archaeological expeditions at Hisarlik, the modern-day site believed to have been ancient Troy. They recount everything from Heinrich Schliemann’s quest for glory and renown to Manfred Korfmann’s controversial picture of Troy as a political entity with Anatolian—not Aegean—ties. Whether the legend of Troy is fact or fiction remains up to the reader to decide.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781580893275
Publisher:	Charlesbridge
Publication date:	02/01/2011
Pages:	80
Product dimensions:	7.30(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	1080L (what's this?)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Jill Rubalcaba is the author of THE ANCIENT EGYPTIAN WORLD, co-written with Eric H. Cline, THE EARLY HUMAN WORLD, cowritten with Peter Robertshaw, and THE WADJET EYE. Jill lives in Middletown, Connecticut. Eric H. Cline serves as the chair of the department of Classical and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at George Washington University. He lives in Washington, DC.

Editorial Reviews

Gr 6–9—Rubalcaba teams up with a noted archaeologist to make sense of the complicated, controversial, contradictory history and remains of the Turkish site called Hisarlik, better known as Troy. It has been intermittently occupied for almost 3500 years, from 2900 BCE to 550 CE, and is often thought to be the Troy written about by Homer in The Iliad. The book begins with a brief but exciting retelling of the Trojan War, giving readers a firsthand appreciation of why generations have been fascinated by this tale, and goes on to profile Heinrich Schliemann, the German businessman who spent a fortune ham-handedly digging up the site in the 19th century. After Schliemann, generations of archaeologists have excavated Hisarlik: along with the history of the excavations, readers are given an overview of technological developments in the field, from comparative dating using potsherds to noninvasive imaging. Competing theories and conclusions are objectively presented, with supporting diagrams, maps, and models. Source notes and an impressive bibliography attest to meticulous research and guide readers to journal articles, books, and online museum exhibits. Elegant illustrations mimicking Greek red-figure pottery are lovely and appropriate. Extraordinarily readable, gracefully laid out, and speckled with lines from The Iliad, this book will inspire young people interested in solving the mysteries of the past.—Paula Willey, Baltimore County Public Library, Towson, MD

School Library Journal

This useful but uneven volume summarizes the legend of the Trojan War, then describes the archaeological excavations at Hisarlik, the Turkish site believed to have been Troy. After a brief (though ponderous) introduction comes a graceful 20-page retelling of how, according to Homer, the Greeks fought at Troy. Elegant red-and-black illustrations every few pages echo Greek vases, part of the overall attractive book design. Readers must then switch gears for the final 35 pages, illustrated with a handful of photographs, which describe the main excavations, from Heinrich Schliemann in 1870 through several more scientific expeditions up to recent times. The authors, a writer and a classical scholar, review hypotheses about the site and occasionally weave in anecdotes, but the overall scheme is chronological and the writing straightforward, without the spark of Laura Amy Schlitz's biography, The Hero Schliemann (2006). However, readers may find the recap of The Iliad enjoyable and the rest, including a timeline and recommended websites, helpful for reports. Given the source material, it should be better. (bibliography, source notes, index) (Nonfiction. 11-14)

Kirkus Reviews