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What evidence suggests that Troy VIIa was prepared to survive a siege?

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Schliemann, Heinrich — Heinrich Schliemann Heinrich Schliemann, detail of an engraving by A. Weger, after a photograph.

Evidence suggesting that the settlement of Troy VIIa was prepared to withstand a siege includes the dense arrangement of its buildings and specific measures taken to secure food supplies. Following the earthquake that destroyed Troy VI, the inhabitants of Troy VIIa rebuilt the town by crowding houses closely together to fill all available space within the fortress walls.1

Furthermore, almost every house in this layer was equipped with one or more large storage jars, known as pithoi, which were sunk deep into the ground with only their openings visible above the floor level. These logistical preparations, combined with the town's eventual destruction by a devastating fire and the discovery of human remains in the streets and houses, support the conclusion that the city was likely captured and looted during a siege.1