Thought to have been lost, dispersed, or even melted down during World War II, the marvelous ancient artifacts known as the "Gold of Troy," or "Priam's Treasure," are among the most important antiquities in existence. The two hundred fifty pieces in this fabulous golden trove were unearthed more than a century ago by the German amateur archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann and have been the subject of endless fascination ever since.

In this lavish volume, the official catalogue of the "Gold of Troy" exhibition at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow, these spectacular objects are reproduced in full color for the first time, and the tale of how they came to light after fifty years in hiding is told in compelling detail.

The story begins with Schliemann (1822-1890), a wealthy businessman whose passion was to find the lost world of Homer. Guided by The Iliad to a site in northern Turkey that he "knew" was ancient Troy, he excavated goblets, coins, jewelry, and other treasures of inestimable value, won great fame, and gave the most important finds - "Priam's Treasure" among them - to the Berlin Museum.

There they remained until the last days of World War II, when the collection was placed in three crates and hidden in an anti-aircraft installation near the Berlin Zoo. As the Red Army overran the city, the Soviets were the first to reach this cache of gold, immediately realized its historical importance, and shipped the hoard to Russia.

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In The Gold of Troy are superb color photographs of all 259 artifacts in the Pushkin exhibition, accompanied by extensive individual commentaries.

The objects - now generally thought to date from 2600 to 2450 B.C., a thousand years earlier than the fabled city Schliemann was seeking - are from thirteen separate sites excavated by Schliemann from 1872 to 1890, and include priceless jewelry such as diadems, rings, bracelets, earrings, pendants, and brooches, as well as anthropomorphic figures, vessels, axes, beads, and more.