engineering

Schliemann's Trench

Schliemann's Trench is a engineering topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Schliemann's Trench rather than just read about it. In short: Schliemann's Trench (sometimes referred to as Schliemann's Great Trench) is the name commonly given to a 17-metre-deep (56-foot) gash cut into the side of Hisarlik, Turkey, between 1871 and 1890 by Heinrich Schliemann in his quest to find the ruins of Troy. By digging this trench, Schliemann destroyed a large portion of the site.

Key takeaways

Schliemann's Trench belongs to engineering; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Schliemann's Trench to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Schliemann's Trench from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Schliemann's Trench (sometimes referred to as Schliemann's Great Trench) is the name commonly given to a 17-metre-deep (56-foot) gash cut into the side of Hisarlik, Turkey, between 1871 and 1890 by Heinrich Schliemann in his quest to find the ruins of Troy. By digging this trench, Schliemann destroyed a large portion of the site.

Excavation of the trench

In October–November 1871, Heinrich Schliemann "officially" began excavating the site by digging into the northern side of Hisarlik. Schliemann returned to the site in April 1872 with battering rams and windlasses, excavating a 70 metres (230 feet) wide area between the trench he had dug in 1871 and trenches dug earlier by Frank Calvert. Around this time, Schliemann also widened his north–south trench, extending it clear through the southern end of the hill. In the middle of this north–south trench, Schliemann dug further down until he hit bedrock, uncovering in the process the remnants of two separate citadel (walls IIb and IIc), which he believed were the "Tower of Ilion". In February 1873, Schliemann continued excavations in the north-eastern part of Hisarlik and started new excavations on the hill's southeast side. During this season, Schliemann discovered the southwestern part of Troy II's citadel walls as well as Gate FM, its associated ramp, and buildings that Schliemann believed to be the remnants of Priam's palace. Schliemann would return to the site in 1878 and 1879 (during which he focused most of his attention on clearing the middle of the hill and deepening his north–south trench), 1882 (during which, among other things, he continued to deepen the north–south trench), and 1890 (when he focused most of his attention on excavating the exposed parts of the Troy II citadel). After Schliemann's excavations ceased, the 17 metres (56 feet) deep north–south trench became a notable feature of the site, and it is still visible to this day. The trench is often cited as an example of Schliemann's inexperience, for in digging through Hisarlik until he hit bedrock, Schliemann destroyed much of the site, thus "mak[ing] a hugely complex site even more so".

References

Bibliography Cline, Eric (2018). Three Stones Make a Wall: The Story of Archaeology. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. ISBN 9780691184258. Easton, Donald F. (2014). "The First Excavations at Troy: Brunton, Calvert and Schliemann". In Pernicka, Ernst; Rose, Charles Brian; Jablonka, Peter (eds.). Studia Troica. Vol. 5. Bonn, Germany: Dr. Rudolf Habelt GmbH. ISBN 9783774939028. Retrieved December 12, 2024. Freely, John (2000). The Companion Guide to Istanbul and Around the Marmara. Woodbridge, UK: Companion Guides. ISBN 9781900639316. Huler, Scott (2010). No-Man's Lands: One Man's Odyssey Through The Odyssey. New York City: Crown. ISBN 9781400082834. Stiebing, William H. (1994). Uncovering the Past: A History of Archaeology. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195089219. Vaughan, A.C. (1959). The House of the Double Axe: The Palace at Knossos. New York City: Doubleday.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Schliemann's Trench

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Schliemann's Trench claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In engineering, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Schliemann's Trench before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Schliemann's Trench ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Schliemann's Trench

In research: Schliemann's Trench appears in engineering research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Schliemann's Trench in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Schliemann's Trench is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1890 establishments in the Ottoman Empire, Ancient Greek archaeological sites in Turkey, Archaeological sites in the Marmara region, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Schliemann's Trench outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Schliemann's Trench in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Schliemann's Trench means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Schliemann's Trench out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Schliemann's Trench in simple terms?

Why does Schliemann's Trench matter?

Because it connects several engineering ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Schliemann's Trench?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Schliemann's Trench.