Archaeological excavations at Hisarlık reveal a real city destroyed around 1200 BC, but no evidence of a hollow wooden horse.

Excavations led by Heinrich Schliemann in 1870 uncovered Troy as a genuine settlement occupied for thousands of years. The destruction layer from around 1200 BC shows burned timbers, human skeletons, arrowheads, and sling stones — clear signs of a violent attack. However, archaeologists have found no evidence of a colossal horse with a hollow interior playing any role in the destruction. The material record points to warfare and possibly earthquakes, but not a giant wooden animal.