2. The Bronze Age Collapse - Mediterranean Apocalypse

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Sometime around the year 1100 BC, right at the end of the Bronze Age, a wave of destruction washed over the Eastern Mediterranean. It wiped whole civilizations off the map, and left only ash and ruin in its wake.

This catastrophe, known as “the Late Bronze Age Collapse”, has become one of the enduring puzzles of archaeology. I want to explore how so many societies could collapse all at once, and seemingly without warning, as well as examine the lessons it might teach us in our increasingly globalised and interconnected world.

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Credits:

Voice Actors:

Shem Jacobs
Jacob Rollinson
Jake Barrett-Mills
Bryan Tshiobi
Helena Bacon

Sources:

Baker, Andy; et al. (1995). ‘The Hekla 3 volcanic eruption recorded in a Scottish speleothem?’. The Holocene. 5 (3): 336–342. doi:10.1177/095968369500500309

Bell, Carol. The merchants of Ugarit: oligarchs of the Late Bronze Age trade in metals? EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN METALLURGY AND METALWORK, 180. 2012.

Breated, James Henry. Ancient Records of Egypt: The twentieth to the twenty-sixth dynasties. United States, University of Illinois Press, 2001.

Bryce, Trevor, and Bryce, Trevor Robert. The kingdom of the Hittites. United Kingdom, Oxford University Press, 2005.

---------- Warriors of Anatolia: A Concise History of the Hittites. United Kingdom, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2018.

Cline, Eric H.. 1177 B.C.: The Year Civilisation Collapsed. United Kingdom, Princeton University Press, 2014.

Cohen, Yoram. The ‘Hunger Years’ and the ‘Sea Peoples’: Preliminary Observations on the Recently Published Letters from the ‘House of Urtenu’ Archive at Ugarit. 2021, SBL: Atlanta.

Collapse and Transformation: The Late Bronze Age to Early Iron Age in the Aegean. United Kingdom, Oxbow Books, 2020.

Collins, Billie Jean. The Hittites and Their World. United States, SBL Press, 2007.

Drews, Robert. The End of the Bronze Age: Changes in Warfare and the Catastrophe Ca. 1200 B.C. - Third Edition. United Kingdom, Princeton University Press, 1993.

Grattan; Gilbertson (2000). ‘Prehistoric 'settlement crisis', environmental changes in the British Isles, and volcanic eruptions in Iceland: An explorarion of plausible linkages’.

Historical Records of Ramesses III.: The Texts in Medinet Habu Volumes I and II. United States, University of Chicago Press, 1936.

Homerus. The Iliad, rendered into Engl. blank verse, by Edward earl of Derby. To which are appended translations of poems ancient and modern. United Kingdom, n.p, 1867.

Medinet Habu inscription of Ramesses III's 8th year (1178 B.C.E.), lines 16-17, trans. by John A. Wilson in Pritchard, J.B. (ed.) Ancient Near Eastern Texts relating to the Old Testament, 3rd edition, Princeton 1969

Megadrought and Collapse: From Early Agriculture to Angkor. United States, Oxford University Press, 2017.

Nougayrol, Jean; Laroche, Emmanuel; Virolleaud, Charles (1968). Ugaritica. V: nouveaux textes accadiens, hourrites et ugaritiques des archives et bibliothèques privées d'Ugarit. Stony Brook University.

Tainter, Joseph. The Collapse of Complex Societies. United Kingdom, Cambridge University Press, 1988.

Wyatt, Nick. Religious texts from Ugarit. United Kingdom, Bloomsbury Academic, 2002.Yon, Marguerite. The City of Ugarit at Tell Ras Shamra. United States, Pennsylvania State University Press, 2006.

Yon, Marguerite. The City of Ugarit at Tell Ras Shamra. United States, Pennsylvania State University Press, 2006.

Yurco, Frank J. (1999). ‘End of the Late Bronze Age and Other Crisis Periods: A Volcanic Cause’. In Teeter, Emily; Larson John (eds.). Gold of Praise: Studies on Ancient Egypt in Honor of Edward F. Wente. Studies in Ancient Oriental Civilisation. Vol. 58. Chicago, IL: Oriental Institute of the Univ. of Chicago. pp. 456–458.
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After watching/listening to 14 episodes I have developed a much broader understanding of the evolution of human social structures. Nothing else in my 67 years - no other books, films, documentaries, courses, or lectures - NONE have come close to igniting the passionate interest in history for which I credit this series. I cannot thank you enough and hope to soon be bn a position to put a bit of money where my mouth is.

timsullivan
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When I was a kid, I was fascinated with the History Channel, as it satiated my ravenous hunger of years past. Since they went the route of MTV, I've been looking for a content creator of quality. I'll stop looking now.

lelanddyer
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I can’t help but rewatch my favorite episodes. Mostly because I feel I was robbed in college because obviously, no one ever created such a interesting, thoughtful and magnificent presentation as this channels creator. Knowledge is power. And this creator is brilliant!

emmabovary
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You teach history in the deepest tradition of our kind: As a master storyteller... As a traveling bard come to bring far worlds home, in tales told to the people gathered close 'round the fire at night.

Thank you! Every one of these has been a hit with me. You've brought history alive again.

TheFlyingBrain.
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In his novel "The Sun Also Rises" Hemingway describes how the end comes about when you lose everything. One character asks "How did it happen". The other responds "Gradually then Suddenly".

It never fails to surprise me how most people think the most complex civilisation ever in history is immune to collapse.
In reality we're in the 'Gradual' phase.
The late great Albert Bartlett famously said "One of the greatest shortcomings of the human race is our inability to truly understand the exponential function".

kevonz
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A beginning, a middle and an end. A first class example of documentary film making allied with the gift of a master storyteller. Hooked and enthralled by this gem of a channel. Thank you Paul.

hairbartletdaisydogworth
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I watched, the fall of Assyrria five times over five months . I've just realised it's part of a magnificent series of outstanding quality. Oh the joy, the joy

dickwhelehan
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You are the man! I don’t know how you do this but these are epic. I lived in Turkey for 5 years when I was a boy into young teen. In the 70’s the ruins were not a tourist attraction. My brother and I spent hours in Ephesus and many other ruin sites in Turkey. We spent a lot of time snorkeling the Aegean. Going back this fall after 46 years. Love this content and the way you make it come alive!

overlandecuador
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This channel/podcast is what happens when highly intelligent, passionate, talented, and creative people get to do what they want to do.. without anyone telling them how or what to actually do. I've watched episodes many times and each time the creator invites you into an emotional and thought-provoking journey- not only into the fascinating past but, a deep and piercing introspective look into us as humans living the human condition. Outstanding.

I will donate when I find work again! Thank you for these gifts of wonder.

thedonofm-town
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imagine how it must feel to pass from a golden age of civilization to one of rubble and ruin,
*looks out window

jimmyjigz
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I listen to this particular episode once a week, usually before bed when I have the next day off from work. Such a relaxing story to fall asleep and dream to. I sincerely love your work. Godspeed. ❤

MyYTaccountName
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Time Stamps
Please feel free to add other important moments below if I've missed anything! Thank you Paul for such beautiful work!

0:00 Ruins of Hattusa
2:30 The Mysterious Wave of Destruction
3:37 Introduction and Welcome
5:53 The Iliad, Odyssey, and The City of Troy/Mycenea
11:38 Mediterranean Civilizations
13:05 Trade between City States
15:00 Bronze
18:16 The two main sources of information from this era
20:02 First Theory of Decline: The Sea Peoples
21:50 Ugarit
30:51 Egypt and Ramses III
42:00 The Decline of Mycenae, Hattusa, Elam, Babylon
44:35 Babylon
48:08 Second Theory: The Growth of Iron Use
50:30 Final Theory: Climate Change
53:15 Eruption of Hekla 3
56:35 An Alternative View of the Sea Peoples
1:00:21 Closing Thoughts

ElizabethAyotte
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7:30 ... "Its a second century version of the history channel's ancient aliens conspiracy theories today"
Me: Is there such a thing as a Mic-Drop-Slow-Clap? That was great.

Your channel is what the History Channel should be.

mrmoore
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Where were you when as a young boy of the early 40s I was studying history in school, what a joy it would have been to have had this medium in those days and people such as yourself as teachers.

billgaetz
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Egypt: "ahh what a beautiful morning, how's everyone doing?"
*Crickets*
Egypt: "G-guys?"

justins
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Thank you Paul.

As a History teacher, I'm impressed with your analysis of this issue. A job well done. Thank you.

play-doughsrepublic
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When he said the classical Greeks couldn't believe that the bronze age Greeks built the megalithic sites that they did and so they attributed it to mythological figures and then he compares that to modern-day people who can't believe the ancients built the pyramids and so they attributed to aliens. This literally maybe just became my favorite channel on YouTube. It was already one of my favorites for putting an actual history documentaries instead of conspiracy theory junk but that was positively delicious

chrisebert
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Deservedly overwhelmingly getting positive comment. Very professional in an age where conspiracy theory is rampant. Sets the cases and recognises the limitations of historical observations, while painting a very realistic picture of events leading to the collapse of late bronze age civilisations. And what a poignant ending.

johnaldersley
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By far, my favorite episode so far. I would love to learn more about the Sea Peoples. If I were a farmer for half the year, and a Raider for one quarter of the year... History would remember me as a Raider.

GDMosey
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"Ten tons of bronze and one ton of tin" - as a non-english / second-language speaker, this is such a fun sentence to say. Can't stop repeating it over and over again.

florete