Several mighty ancient civilizations crumbled during the 12th and 13th centuries. These civilizations used to bask in glory across the East Mediterranean, Near East, and North Africa. However, to their dismay, they succumbed to ruins. As a result, revolts rose, wars started, systems of writing were put out, and cultures seemingly got erased. All of these happened during what is known as the Bronze Age Collapse.
According to IFL Science, this event was considered one of the first raids of humanity toward globalization. However, to everyone's dismay, it ended with a strong, surprising, and strange collapse.
As a result, survivors of the collapse had to live through what history dubs the Dark Ages, which lasted for many centuries, as noted by History.
Bronze Age: Before Civilizations Collapsed
Before the destruction took place, the Bronze Age was a light period in history. A specific culture was labeled a Bronze Age Civilization when it had the capacity to make bronze. This was done by processing its own copper resources and alloying it using tin or other metals.
Compared to other available resources during the time, bronze was much tougher. Hence, civilizations accumulated power and gained a competitive advantage when it came to tool creation, weaponry, art, and engineering.
This shift in resources allowed these civilizations to develop huge urbanized settlements, develop intricate caste systems, and create writing arrangements and systems.
A number of mighty civilizations flourished, including the Babylonians, the Mycenaeans from the mainland in Greece, the New Kingdom of Egypt, the Minoans from Crete, and the Hittite Empire in Anatolia. These mighty civilizations dominated the Mediterranean and shared deep ties through migration, imports, and exports.
The Driving Forces Behind the Bronze Age Collapse
Though things were working well across these civilizations, their network crashed in 1177 BCE. Archaeological proof shows that various Near East and Eastern Mediterranean cities were wiped out or abandoned.
While historians are still conflicted about the exact causes that drove this catastrophe, one commonly cited explanation is the invasion of the Sea Peoples. However, because there were no written documents or monuments, the identity of the Sea Peoples is still being debated. According to IFL Science, many usually propose that these invaders comprised various cultures into sea fare and sailed throughout the eastern Mediterranean.
IFL Science notes that there is likely more to the story. In fact, others argue that some of these civilizations had experienced internal deterioration through the collapse of their general systems. Such an idea denotes that several of these civilizations had complex political systems that made them at risk for instability and inequality.
Aside from this, another possible explanation involved the environmental conditions during that time. In fact, a study last 2013 covered the examination of sediments from an ancient lake within the area. In doing so, the researchers found proof that climate change was present during this time. The study's authors suggested that such environmental changes led to drought, famines, scarcity, migration, and vulnerability.
Like all other historical events, this collapse cannot be explained singularly. IFL Science notes that the intersection of various factors could have likely led to the ultimate fall, with some factors bearing more weight than others.
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