Schliemann was convinced that the ruins of Homer’s Troy were buried deep beneath later settlements. Influenced by the belief that earlier civilizations lay at the lowest levels, he employed a rapid and forceful excavation strategy. Instead of carefully removing each occupational layer in sequence, he drove a broad trench straight through the centre of the mound from north to south. This method revealed the general stratigraphy of the site, including the existence of multiple superimposed cities, but at the same time caused extensive and irreversible damage.

In the process, Schliemann destroyed large portions of the upper levels—Troy VI and VII—that modern archaeology now associates most closely with the period of the Trojan War in the Late Bronze Age. Instead, he halted his major digging upon reaching Troy II, which he misidentified as the Homeric city. The lack of systematic recording, combined with the removal and mixing of materials from different periods, compromised much of the site’s archaeological context. Later archaeologists, beginning with Wilhelm Dörpfeld in the 1890s, had to work with a mound permanently altered by the deep cut, making certain reconstructions of the site’s history more difficult.

circa 1871-72 CE

Northern Stretch
Although the trench was conceived as a single continuous cut, it can be discussed in three main sections based on its progression from the northern to the southern limits of the mound. The work began in late 1871 CE on the northern flank of the mound. Here Schliemann linked his operations with earlier trial pits dug by Frank Calvert, the local expatriate who first identified Hisarlik as a promising candidate for Troy. The northern portion was widened early in the project to over 70 metres in some places, as Schliemann sought a fast descent to the earliest levels. This section removed substantial deposits from Troy VII down to Troy II, exposing parts of fortifications, houses, and open spaces, but without regard to their stratigraphic relationships.

circa 1872 CE-

Central Stretch
The middle segment of the trench became its deepest and most conspicuous portion. Running through the very core of the mound, it revealed cross-sections of the massive stone walls of Troy II, especially the phases IIb and IIc. Schliemann believed one of these structures was the “Tower of Ilion” described by Homer. Here the trench cut completely from the upper surface to bedrock, producing a striking visual profile of the site’s nine occupational layers. However, in removing the overlying strata in bulk, the central stretch obliterated most of the remains from the Late Bronze Age citadel.

circa 1872 CE-

Southern Stretch
By early 1873, the excavation had been extended to the southern end of the mound. In this section Schliemann encountered additional walls of Troy II’s citadel, including parts of the southwestern fortifications, a gate known in modern archaeological nomenclature as Gate FM, and the associated stone ramp. He also uncovered large building foundations that he interpreted as the palace of King Priam, though these are now recognised as belonging to the Early Bronze Age phase of Troy II. The southern end of the trench, like the rest, sacrificed upper layers to reach these remains, further contributing to the loss of context for the later periods.