History is characterised by the rise and fall of civilisations. The fall of what seems like the strong interconnected world of the Late Bronze Age in the eastern Mediterranean, represented by the Egyptian New Kingdom, the Hittite empire, and the Mycenean world, has posed a puzzle for archaeologists and historians of the region. It is often perceived as a violent collapse, linked to the arrival of the so-called Sea Peoples. We will examine this period, the written and archaeological evidence, and the theories suggested to explain the chain of events.
- Cline EH (2021). 1177 B.C. The Year Civilization Collapsed: Revised and Updated. Princeton University Press.
- Outline of the Late Bronze Age world of the eastern Mediterranean, emphasising the international interconnected character of the period
- The events that occurred around 1200 BC – end of the Hittite empire and Mycenaean civilisation, destruction of the city of Ugarit in Syria, and arrival of the Sea Peoples on the border of Egypt
- Theories that try and explain the end of the Late Bronze Age – natural disasters (earthquakes, drought, volcanic eruption) and resulting economic problems, uptake of new technology by armies etc
- Were the Sea Peoples driven by other events or simply opportunistic raiders?
- Characteristics of the Iron Age that emerged – weakened Egypt (drift into the Third Intermediate Period), new peoples and states (e.g. Philistines and ancient Israel)
- Possible relationship of the Greek story of the Trojan War with the end of the Late Bronze Age
By the end of this course, students should be able to:
- Learn the international character of the Late Bronze Age, as seen by textual and archaeological evidence
- Discover textual records of the Sea Peoples, most prominently those at Medinet Habu in Egypt
- Explore theories for the end of the Late Bronze Age
- Discover the political world of the early Iron Age
- Reflect on these years in the Greek stories of the Trojan War
