Often thought of as an ancient, mythical idea, immortalised in the works of Homer, it's hard to imagine Troy as real place. But when Heinrich Schliemann started excavations of the city in the late 19th Century, our understanding of the ancient world would change forever. Troy stood for over millennia, and in that period was destroyed and rebuilt time and time again. So what do we know about the real people who lived there, and what does the modern archaeology tell us?In today's episode Tristan is joined by Professor C. Brian Rose, the James B. Pritchard Professor of Archaeology at the University of Pennsylvania, to take us through this city's magnificent past. Looking at the people who first occupied the settlement, through to the modern age beauty contests that still take place on the surrounding slopes, there's a wide breadth of history to be covered. So what really happened during the Trojan War, if it actually happened at all?We've teamed up with Collette to provide our North American History Hit Subscribers with the opportunity to join Tristan on a trip to Rome and the Amalfi Coast. You'll spend 3 days exploring all Rome has to offer and then a further 3 days soaking up the history of the Amalfi coast. Follow this link to find out more. History Hit subscribers will save $50 to $100 per person per tour. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.