Heinrich Schliemann

(1822-1890)

        Born January 6, 1822 in Neu-Buckow / Mecklenburg Germany, Heinrich Schliemann became fascinated with Homer's epic story The Iliad, and the Trojan War at a very early age.  He grew up to be a very prestigious architect and merchant.  In 1871, Schleimann arrived in northwestern Turkey to begin excavations in places where he believed the lost city of Troy was located.  It was a few miles from the Dardanelles along a sea lane that divided Europe and Asia.  He began work on a small hill called Hissarlik.  Five years passed with no evidence found, then all of a sudden, his crew dug up many gold cups, bracelets, and a beautiful gold trimmed headdress. 

        Armed with this evidence Schliemann announced to the world that he had found the treasures of Priam, the last King of Troy.  This was an important discovery in the archaeological world at this time.  He was praised and rewarded graciously for his findings.  His treasures are displayed in Moscow's Pushkin Museum.

        In 1993 however, other scientists discovered that the gold and treasure Schliemann discovered did not come from the time that Schliemann had originally projected.  Instead, the findings originated about one thousand years before the Trojan War.  Although we still credit Schliemann with Troy's original discovery, many other scientists have contributed their research to Troy's entire discovery.

This project was developed by Sophomore students at Sandpoint High School for the 2001 University of Idaho EdTechQuest.  Contact us if you have any questions or comments.