Ring around the city

Then have the divine singer with his clear-toned lyre lead a merry dance for us, so that someone coming along and hearing the sound will think that a wedding feast is going on, either someone going along the road or someone who lives nearby.

City

City and the ring

Odyssey Book 23 line 118-122 Barry B Powell
Odyssey Book 16 line 444-446 Barry B Powell

Ring

I didn't have time to go around the city asking and inquiring about things. I wanted to come back as soon as I had delivered the message.

Road

Where to start the search for the palace? Did Homer provide some clues as to its location? Well, he wouldn't be Homer otherwise! Here's what Odysseus says after having killed the suitors:

They only have to fake a party for people coming along the road or who live nearby, so the palace probably isn't in the city centre, nor anywhere near it. This means we can limit our search to a ring around the anticipated site of the city, stretching across the modern road now in place. You can click the arrow on the picture to see more maps where I've outlined the search area.

He didn't have reason to avoid the city but he chose not to go there, so the palace most likely lies east of the city. We started our search for the palace in the most likely spot and found a mysterious place on the north-eastern edge of the ring.

Seeing as both city and palace would be buried under a thick layer of sediment, I think it makes most sense to start any explorations in the hills east of the city. Moreover, because it appears Eumaios didn't enter the city itself.