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Eric Cline | 1177 BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed

The Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures・43 minutes read

The speaker's book explores the collapse of civilizations during the Late Bronze Age, emphasizing interconnectedness and factors like drought and trade disruptions. Parallels are drawn between challenges faced in 1200 B.C. and present-day issues, highlighting historical patterns of collapse and renewal.

Insights

The Late Bronze Age collapse, focusing on interconnected civilizations, was influenced by factors like drought, famine, Sea Peoples, and disrupted trade routes, leading to a significant loss of knowledge and marking the world's first Dark Ages.
Parallels between the challenges faced in the Late Bronze Age and modern times, including climate change, famines, droughts, rebellions, and potential conflicts, highlight historical patterns of collapse and renewal, emphasizing the need to recognize impending challenges and the potential for new beginnings following upheaval.

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Recent questions

What is the Late Bronze Age collapse?
A period of interconnected civilizations' downfall around 1200 B.C.
Who were the Sea Peoples?
Potential invaders during the Late Bronze Age collapse.
What were the causes of the Bronze Age collapse?
Factors like drought, famine, and disrupted trade routes.
How did global trade impact the Late Bronze Age?
Globalized trade networks connected civilizations during that period.
What parallels exist between the Late Bronze Age and today?
Similar challenges like climate change, famines, and conflicts.

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Summary

00:00

"Exploring Collapse: Late Bronze Age Civilizations"

The speaker expresses gratitude to Jack and Jim Sopranos for facilitating their lecture on a book about the collapse.
The idea to write the book was proposed by Rob Tempio of Princeton University Press during a dinner meeting.
The speaker's book focuses on the collapse of civilizations during the Late Bronze Age, a period they find fascinating.
The book's structure includes sections on the collapse, the 15th to 12th centuries, and the speaker's favorite historical era.
A book trailer was created for the speaker's book, featuring an ex-student who runs a film studio.
The speaker discusses the collapse of civilizations around 1200 B.C., comparing it to the fall of the Roman Empire.
Various authors have explored collapses of societies, but the speaker's focus is on multiple interconnected civilizations.
The Late Bronze Age saw globalized interactions among civilizations, akin to today's interconnected world.
The speaker identifies the G8 civilizations of the Late Bronze Age, highlighting their interconnectedness.
The collapse of these civilizations led to a significant loss of knowledge, marking the world's first Dark Ages.

12:38

Philistines: Origins, Migration, and Bronze Collapse

The Philistines are believed to be the Peleset, originating from Crete according to Champollion and the Bible.
There is uncertainty about the exact origin of the Philistines, with no definitive site identified.
Philistine settlements are found in regions like Canaan, Israel, Lebanon, and Syria.
The reliefs at Medinet Habu depict a migration of people, not just warriors, including women, children, and ox carts.
The collapse at the end of the Late Bronze Age is attributed to factors like drought, famine, Sea Peoples, and disrupted trade routes.
Bronze production in the Late Bronze Age involved tin from Afghanistan and copper from Cyprus.
The disruption of the tin trade route, possibly due to drought or other factors, could have contributed to the collapse.
Evidence from pollen cores and studies suggests a prolonged drought in regions like North Syria and Cyprus during the 13th and 12th centuries.
Scientific evidence supports the theory of a drought during the Late Bronze Age, potentially contributing to the collapse of civilizations.
Media coverage and debates have highlighted the role of climate change and other factors in the Bronze Age collapse.

24:41

Famine, Invasions, and Earthquakes in 1200s

Famine can be challenging to identify in archaeological records unless written texts provide evidence.
A text from Ugarit in 1185 mentions a famine in Emaar, indicating the severity of the situation.
The king of Ugarit also mentions famine in his letter, emphasizing the dire circumstances.
Textual evidence suggests the presence of invaders and internal rebellion during that time.
The Sea Peoples are identified as potential invaders based on archaeological findings and radiocarbon dating.
Destruction of cities like Hazor is attributed to various possible groups, including Egyptians, Canaanites, Israelites, or Sea Peoples.
Seismic activity, such as earthquakes, is proposed as a factor in the destruction of sites around 1200.
Evidence of earthquakes causing destruction is found in various archaeological sites, including Mycenae and Tiryns.
Disruption of trade routes during the Late Bronze Age is considered a significant factor in the societal upheaval.
Trade connections, like Hatshepsut's expedition to Punt, highlight the globalized nature of the period and its potential impact on civilizations.

36:52

Globalized Trade and Civilizational Collapse in 1177

Aegean peoples are visiting the tomb of Rekhmire, bringing goods, including a Minoan with a bull's head.
Contacts with Mycenaeans and Minoans are evident through various tombs and artifacts.
Amenhotep the Third's Colossi of Memnon are linked to topographical names on statue bases.
The statue bases mention locations like Amnisos, Mycenae, and Knossos, indicating a geographical list.
The bases suggest a possible itinerary from Egypt to Crete, then mainland Greece, and back.
Textual evidence from the Sinaranu Text in 1260 B.C. mentions trade between coastal Syria and Crete.
The Uluburun Shipwreck from around 1300 B.C. contained various goods from different civilizations.
The shipwreck's cargo included copper ingots, tin, blue glass, terebinth resin, ivory, and pottery.
The shipwreck exemplifies the globalized trade network of the Late Bronze Age.
The collapse of various civilizations around 1177 B.C. is seen as a systems collapse with no singular cause.

48:49

Historical Parallels: Past Challenges, Future Renewal

Numerous parallels exist between the challenges faced in the present day and those encountered around 1200 B.C., including climate change, famines, droughts, earthquakes, rebellions, and potential conflicts akin to the Sea Peoples.
Recent headlines mirror the turmoil of 1200 B.C., with economic crises in Greece, internal rebellions in Libya, Egypt, and Syria, foreign invaders, and unrest in Turkey, Israel, Jordan, Iran, and Iraq, suggesting historical patterns of collapse and renewal.
Despite technological advancements, civilizations throughout history have faced collapse, emphasizing the importance of recognizing impending challenges and the potential for new beginnings and advancements following periods of upheaval.

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