As the last vestiges of the civilization on the Trojan side in the Trojan War completely disappeared, the area where the city once stood remained desolate for centuries. It wasn't until around 700 B.C. that Greeks began to settle there again.
Because it was located in one of the two topmost layers of the entire ruins, the traces left by these settlers were far more abundant than those of previous civilizations, such as the Temple of Athena.
However, the history of this Greek city-state came to an abrupt end in 85 B.C. According to historical records, the city was eventually conquered by the ancient Romans and transformed into a Roman city.
As a Roman city along a trade route, it prospered during the Pax Romana. However, with the decline of Rome, particularly the diminishing control over the eastern territories, the city also fell into decline.
By around 450 A.D., the city was completely abandoned and never rebuilt. The exposed buildings eventually collapsed into a pile of stone ruins.
Due to the existence of these ruins, the site was long regarded solely as an ancient Roman site, keeping the secrets of Troy hidden until today.
After completing the initial mapping and exploration of the ruins, the group quickly convened to discuss the issues related to the city. At this point, a student brought by a scholar from the Golden Dawn posed an important question.
"Why wasn't this city rebuilt like it was before? I mean, the location of the city is indeed excellent, and it certainly has the value for reconstruction."
"This matter is actually quite easy to explain, but you need to raise your perspective from the city itself to a height where you can observe a larger area," Nelson stood up and explained.
"The reason this city flourished before was that there were no other commercial cities in the entire strait that could rival it, so naturally, it prospered under the monopoly of trade.
"But with the completion of New Rome, also known as Constantinople, in 330 A.D., the trade center of this region quickly shifted to the new capital in the eastern part of the Roman Empire."
"Therefore, with the decline of the empire and the emergence of a strong competitor, Troy naturally fell into decline and was eventually abandoned—"
"It seems that Troy has a very strong appeal among Westerners; it feels like this place is becoming a grand gathering spot for European historians," Liang En commented to Jeanne as he observed the lively meeting scene.
Perhaps it was because the reappearance of this epic city was so shocking, or perhaps everyone felt that they would be missing out if they didn't come, but in any case, a large group of scholars from all over had gathered here.
And because of their arrival, different people and different ideas collided, leading to a great deal of exchange, even making the atmosphere increasingly resemble a formal academic conference.
This was not necessarily a bad thing. At least for these scholars, especially those who often engaged in field archaeology and were rarely on campus, it provided a rare opportunity to communicate with their peers.
"The arrival of so many people should be considered a good thing. Not to mention how much new knowledge and results can be produced from the collision of human wisdom, just the gathering of so many people in itself can have a positive impact on our excavation work."
Jeanne was quite satisfied with the overall situation of this conference. After all, in her view, Liang En's task this time was to excavate Troy, and the presence of so many people would clearly help Liang En gain fame, which was already quite good.
After all, for Liang En, who was now on a scholarly path, apart from the few tangible treasures, the most valuable things were the academic knowledge and his reputation.
Therefore, this kind of event, which gathered a large group of scholars at this site for discussions, became the best way to enhance Liang En's reputation. After this investigation, Liang En should be able to overcome the age-related barrier and become one of the top scholars in Europe.
Although many places claim that there is no hierarchy based on seniority in the West, that is not entirely true. This is merely part of the extensive Western propaganda.
Just think about it—if there were no hierarchy based on seniority, the competition would be fierce, leading to the inevitable result of burnout, which contradicts the narrative that Western work culture is relaxed and not overly competitive.
In reality, Europe is relatively relaxed, but it has a strong tendency towards seniority-based hierarchy. On the other hand, the U.S. generally has a busier work culture, but less emphasis on hierarchy based on seniority.
One could even say that compared to the East, the Western world has more non-work-related factors influencing salaries. For instance, in the U.S., for the same job and qualifications, men do tend to earn more than women.
Moreover, when it comes to admissions, it used to be easier for white people to get in under the same conditions, but now it's easier for black people, while Asians often find their spots used as bargaining chips for other ethnic groups.
In this context, it is much more difficult for Liang En to become recognized as a top scholar in Europe than it would be for a middle-aged white or black scholar.
At least with his current academic achievements, if they were attributed to a middle-aged scholar of another ethnicity, he would have become one of the top historians and archaeologists in the Western world at least a year ago.
However, this kind of implicit discrimination does have its limits, and the specific situation varies. For example, issues of skin color and ethnicity are considered unwritten rules, but they cannot be openly discussed.
As for age, this can be openly mentioned, but it also has its limits. When your achievements reach a certain level, this rule can no longer be an effective barrier.
A simple example is that Liang En's recent conferral of a doctorate proves that as his research becomes more widely accepted, the constraints are gradually breaking down—this is the most evident sign.
Of course, under normal circumstances, the breaking of these constraints is a slow process, advancing little by little, but Liang En's archaeological work on Troy this time might greatly accelerate this progress.
This is the reason why Liang En, who typically dislikes interacting with strangers, appeared very active in this gathering—he needed to accumulate more fame through such means.
"Yes, the current situation isn't necessarily a bad thing for me, but I've been thinking about one thing, and that is: what is the Thule Society up to?" Liang En asked Jeanne seriously.
"We are effectively destroying their future, and they are clearly aware of our presence. Under these circumstances, their recent silence seems rather unusual."
"What's so unusual about it?" Jeanne didn't find anything particularly wrong. "I admit that the Thule Society does have some resources, but they are not omnipotent gods."
"Careful analysis will reveal that the methods available to them are only the following: large-scale attacks, poisoning or assassination, and leveraging their connections to suppress us. But none of these methods will work against us right now."
"Considering that this place is located in a bustling area rather than the wilderness, with a Turkish naval academy and military garrison just a few kilometers away, they certainly won't and can't resort to large-scale attacks."
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