Did ancient Troy really exist? - Einav Zamir Dembin

譯者: Regina Chu 審譯者: Marssi Draw

When Homer’s Iliad was first written down in the 8th century BCE,

荷馬於西元前八世紀 首次寫下《伊利亞德》時

the story of the Trojan war was already an old one.

特洛伊戰爭的故事早已流傳久遠

From existing oral tradition,

聽眾從當時已存在的口述傳統

audiences knew the tales of the long siege,

得知此城長期受圍困的傳說

the epic duels outside the city walls,

城外英雄式的決鬥

and the cunning trick that finally won the war.

以及最終贏得戰爭的詭詐計謀

In the end, the magnificent city was burned to the ground,

最後，這座偉大的城市被燒毀殆盡

never to rise again.

永無翻身之日

But had it ever existed?

但是這座城真的存在過嗎？

By the time the field of archaeology began to take shape in the 19th century,

考古學於 19 世紀開始成形時

many were skeptical, considering the epic to be pure fiction,

很多人心存懷疑 認為這部史詩完全虛構

a founding myth imagining a bygone heroic era.

只不過是一個開國神話 想像過去的英雄時代

But some scholars believed

但是有些學者相信

that behind the superhuman feats and divine miracles

超人類的技藝和各式的神蹟背後

there must have been a grain of historical truth -

一定存在著某種程度的史實

a war that was really fought,

或許是某場真正打過的戰役

and a place where it happened.

或許是此場戰役發生的地點

Frank Calvert was one such believer.

法蘭克．卡爾維特就是這樣的學者

He had spent his youth traveling and learning about ancient civilizations

他幼年時經常旅行，學習古代文明

before accompanying his brother Frederick

之後他陪同兄長 弗雷德里克參加外交使團

on a diplomatic mission to the northwest Anatolian region of Çanakkale.

到位於安那托利亞西北區的恰納卡萊

It was here that Homer described the Greek encampment

這裡正是荷馬描述希臘紮營的

at the mouth of the Scamander river.

斯卡曼德洛斯河口

And it was here that fate brought Frank into contact

也正是這裡，命運引領法蘭克

與一位記者兼地質學家 查爾斯．麥克賴倫相遇

with a journalist and geologist named Charles Maclaren.

Locals and travelers had long speculated

當地人與遊客早就懷疑

that Troy might’ve stood on one of the surrounding hilltops.

特洛伊城可能曾佇立在周圍某山頂上

But Maclaren had been one of the first

但是麥克賴倫是第一個

to publish a detailed topographical study of the area.

發表當地詳細地形圖的人

He believed he had found the site –

他認為他找到了該城遺跡

a 32-meter mound known by the name Hisarlık,

一座名為希沙利克的 32 公尺小山崗

derived from the Turkish word for “fortress.”

這個名字從土耳其語的堡壘演變而來

Soon after meeting with him in 1847,

卡爾維特兄弟在 1847 年與他見面後

the Calverts bought 2,000 acres of farmland

就買了附近 2000 英畝的農地

that included part of the hill.

包括這個小山崗的一部分

Before they could explore any further,

就在他們想進一步探究之際

the Crimean War broke out

克里米亞戰爭爆發

and forestalled their archaeological ambitions for several years.

因而阻止了他們考古的雄心好多年

After the war’s end,

戰爭結束後

Frank Calvert began to survey the site,

法蘭克．卡爾維特開始調查這個地點

but lacked the funds for a full excavation.

但是沒有經費全面開挖

This was where the wealthy German businessman

此時德國富商

and amateur archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann came in.

兼業餘考古學家 海因里希．施里曼登場

At Calvert’s invitation,

受卡爾維特之邀

Schliemann visited the grounds in 1868, and decided to excavate.

施里曼於 1868 年視察了 這片地區並決定開挖

Eager to find the ancient city,

他急於找到這座古城

Schliemann tore massive trenches all the way to the base of the hill.

所以把巨大的壕溝一擘到底 從山頭直到山腳

There, he uncovered a hoard of precious artifacts,

他在那裡發現了一堆的珍貴文物

jewelry,

珠寶

and metalwork,

及金屬製品

including two diadems and a copper shield.

包括兩頂王冠及一面銅盾

Schliemann took full credit for the discovery,

施里曼把發現的功勞全攬在身上

announcing that he had found Troy

宣布他找到了特洛伊

and the treasure of its king Priam.

及其王普里阿摩斯的寶物

But the real treasure was elsewhere.

但是真正的寶物還在別處

When later archaeologists studied the site,

之後的考古學家細查此地

they realized that the mound consisted of no less than nine cities,

他們意識到這座山崗 其實至少有九個城市

each built atop the ruins of the last.

每一個都建築在舊址之上，層層堆疊

The layer Schliemann had uncovered dated back to the Mycenaean Age,

施里曼發掘出的那一層 可以回溯至邁錫尼文明

more than 1,000 years too early for Homer.

比荷馬還早一千年，太早了

But inside the mound was indeed evidence

但在山崗內部的確有證據顯示

for a city that had thrived during the Bronze Age,

某座城市曾興盛於青銅時代

with charred stone,

燒焦的石頭

broken arrowheads,

斷掉的箭頭

and damaged human skeletons suggesting a violent end.

以及受損的人類骨骸 都暗示著暴力的結局

It was Troy VII, contained in the middle layers

這就是「特洛伊 Ⅶ」 被包在中間幾層

and now ravaged for a second time by Schliemann’s careless excavation.

因為施里曼粗暴的挖掘 而再度受到摧殘

The settlement, spanning some 200,000 square meters

這片聚落佔地約二十萬平方公尺

and home to as many as 10,000 people,

多達一萬人以之為家

thrived until around 1180 BCE.

一度興盛，直到西元前 1180 年

Its position at the southern entrance of the Dardanelles strait

它位於達達尼爾海峽南面的入口

would’ve made a formidable strategic location for both defense and trade.

具防禦及貿易的強大戰略地位

Most importantly, there are the remains of a massive fortification wall –

最重要的是 有很大面的防禦城牆遺跡

perhaps the very same one

或許就是這一面牆

from which Priam and Hector once watched the Greeks approach.

普里阿摩斯與赫克托爾 看著希臘人逼近

Of course, it’s difficult to be certain

當然，很難證明

that these ruins are the true remains of ancient Troy,

這些遺跡真的是古代特洛伊的遺址

and scholars still dispute

而且學者仍在爭論

whether the Trojan War as described by Homer ever happened.

荷馬描述的特洛伊戰爭是否為真

Yet the evidence is strong enough

然而證據確鑿

that UNESCO has labelled Hisarlık the archeological site of Troy.

聯合國教育、科學與文化組織 已將希沙利克列為特洛伊的考古遺址

Regardless of its identity,

無論其身分如何

thanks to persistence,

因著堅持

a bit of faith,

一點信心

and a lot of research,

及很多研究

archaeologists are bringing the long-buried secrets

考古學家才能揭示隱藏已久的秘密

of an ancient, lost city to light.

讓傳說中古老、消失的城市重見光明