

A compelling combination of narrative and the latest scholarship, 1177 B.C.

Bringing to life the vibrant multicultural world of these great civilizations, he draws a sweeping panorama of the empires and globalized peoples of the Late Bronze Age and shows that it was their very interdependence that hastened their dramatic collapse and ushered in a dark age that lasted centuries. How did it happen? In this major new account of the causes of this "First Dark Ages," Eric Cline tells the gripping story of how the end was brought about by multiple interconnected failures, ranging from invasion and revolt to earthquakes, drought, and the cutting of international trade routes. But the Sea Peoples alone could not have caused such widespread breakdown. The thriving economy and cultures of the late second millennium B.C., which had stretched from Greece to Egypt and Mesopotamia, suddenly ceased to exist, along with writing systems, technology, and monumental architecture. No more Trojans, Hittites, or Babylonians. Kingdoms fell like dominoes over the course of just a few decades. After centuries of brilliance, the civilized world of the Bronze Age came to an abrupt and cataclysmic end. The pharaoh's army and navy managed to defeat them, but the victory so weakened Egypt that it soon slid into decline, as did most of the surrounding civilizations. BMI 010.1177/11772719211013363Biomarker InsightsDonoso-Navarro et al research-article2021. "In 1177 B.C., marauding groups known only as the "Sea Peoples" invaded Egypt.
