Turkish archaeologists have discovered a golden brooch and rare jade stone in the Troy II settlement layer, providing new insights into the ancient city’s pre-Greek civilization. The artifacts, found in a 2,500 B.C. settlement, are significant for their role in revealing the city’s historical development and its connections to ancient trade routes. The golden brooch, described as the best-preserved among only three known examples in the world, holds particular importance in the study of ancient Anatolian culture. The jade stone, which is not native to Anatolia, suggests that the city was part of long-distance trade networks, linking it to distant regions during this period.
Troy, once believed to be a mythical city, was first excavated by Heinrich Schliemann in 1870. The site is most renowned for its depiction in Homer’s ‘Iliad’ and ‘Odyssey.’ The latest discoveries in the Troy II layer, dated to around 4,500 years ago, add to the rich archaeological history of the location. Turkish officials have emphasized that these findings are among the most significant of the last 100 years, noting their potential to reshape understanding of the early history of the region. The Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism has praised the discovery, with Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy highlighting the brooch’s exceptional preservation and historical value. The artifacts are set to be displayed at the Troy Museum in Çanakkale, Turkey, where they will be accessible to both scholars and the public. These findings also underscore the importance of continued archaeological research in preserving and understanding ancient civilizations, with the site being recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998. UNESCO’s description of Troy as one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world reinforces the global significance of these new discoveries.