Priam’s Treasure
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"Priam's Treasure" refers to a collection of gold jewelry and vessels discovered at the archaeological site of Troy, specifically within the layer known as Troy II. This treasure is estimated to date back to around 2000 BCE. The discovery was made by archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann, who was excavating the site believing it to be the legendary city described in Homer's Iliad. While Schliemann identified this treasure as belonging to King Priam, modern scholarship suggests that Troy VI or VIIa may be the more accurate representation of Homeric Troy. The collection includes elaborate diadems, pectorals, bracelets, earrings, and thousands of beads, showcasing the metalworking skills of the Early Bronze Age.123
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Heinrich SchliemannDiscovery of TroyNevertheless, the treasure he had found and smuggled out was thereafter identified as Priam’s Treasure. His discoveries and theories, first published in Trojanische Alterthümer (1874; Troy and Its Remains), were received skeptically by many scholars, but others—including the prime minister of England, William Ewart Gladstone, himself a…
Read MoreNevertheless, the treasure he had found and smuggled out was thereafter identified as Priam’s Treasure. His discoveries and theories, first published in Trojanische Alterthümer (1874; Troy and Its Remains), were received skeptically by many scholars, but others—including the prime minister of England, William Ewart Gladstone, himself a…
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AnatoliaEarly Bronze Age…finds as the so-called “Priam’s Treasure” from Troy and grave goods from royal tombs at Alaca Hüyük. Technical processes included casting in closed molds (the lost-wax process), metal inlay, sweating and soldering, hammering and repoussé, granulation, filigree, and even cloisonné. The metals used included copper, bronze, silver, gold, electrum,…
Read More…finds as the so-called “Priam’s Treasure” from Troy and grave goods from royal tombs at Alaca Hüyük. Technical processes included casting in closed molds (the lost-wax process), metal inlay, sweating and soldering, hammering and repoussé, granulation, filigree, and even cloisonné. The metals used included copper, bronze, silver, gold, electrum,…
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