Ancient Troy Larger Than Previously Believed

German archaeologists have discovered that the site of ancient Troy covered a much larger area than previously thought — 35 hectars (77 acres), not the 27 hectars (59 acres) deduced by earlier excavations.

A few days ago a crew led by Dr. Ernst Pernicka from the Universitaet Tuebingen discovered the continuation of the Bronze Age defensive ditch surrounding the city. They also discovered Bronze Age cobblestones from an ancient road northeast of the previously excavated site.

“We have now proven the existence of a residential area 500 meters outside the castle. This was indeed a very large capital city. It was the center of a small principality which probably encompassed a total area of 200-300 square kilometers,” said Dr. Pernicka.