Troy’s Legend Grows

HEINRICH SCHLIEMANN’S “DISCOVERY” 120 YEARS ago of mythic Troy has always gone into the close-but-no-cigar category. Excavating on Turkey’s Aegean coast, the amateur German archaeologist unearthed some ancient ruins and declared them to be all that was left of the Troy celebrated in Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. But the remains always seemed, even to Schliemann, a bit puny for so outsize a legend.

Last week the archaeologist got some impressive support. An international team of researchers announced that a new magnetic survey has revealed a 14- ft.-thick clay wall about 1,300 ft. south of Schliemann’s dig. His find now appears to be the dwelling site of the city’s rulers; the still buried wall probably marks Troy’s true boundaries and might be the very wall that Achilles reputedly chased Hector around three times. Archaeologists intend to excavate the barrier, which lies 6 to 10 ft. underground, this summer. Still missing are any signs of the Trojan horse.