|
|
Article: Archaeology: Seal Proves That Trojans Wrote
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- October 30, 1995
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
|
American and German archaeologists have found a 3,000-year-old
seal from the ancient city of Troy that reveals something they always
had assumed but never could prove: Trojans could write.
The bronze seal was found in perfect condition this summer in a
trench near a Roman-era concert hall in northwest Turkey. The two-
inch artifact contains hieroglyphs in Luwian, a language used under
the Hittite empire.
Troy was a trade center, and historians have assumed Trojan
merchants kept written records, said Brian Rose, a classicist from
the University of Cincinnati, who led a team of students at the
excavation.
"The question was ...