Archaeologica.org

Minimalist wrote:
[...] Without actually saying it I got the implication that the "Sea People" arose as a rebellion against the palace system which was everywhere in ruins.

Despite such massive destruction, a tsunami only partially explains the disappearance of the Minoans.

Dated artifacts prove conclusively that the ancient culture survived for at least a generation or two after the Thera eruption.

“And the palace at Knossos, an 11-acre complex, was far too inland to be affected by the wave,” Mr. Hadingham said.

He theorizes that what happened next was a society struggling with the devastating loss of hundreds or thousands of its own people, shaken to its core and looking for answers.

Mr. Hadingham described an intricate ivory sculpture of a male figure, “a stunning masterwork of Minoan art,” that had been reconstructed from hundreds of fragments found outside a burned shrine in Palaikastro.

“Because of the exotic material and the exquisite craftsmanship, the statue perhaps represented a deity or cult figure,” he explained.

“Careful study of the fire-damaged legs of the sculpture suggests they had been tossed into the shrine while it was a raging inferno, blazing at temperatures of around 1,600 degrees Fahrenheit,” Mr. Hadingham continued.

“It seems likely that the fire was deliberately stoked, the figure smashed against the wall and then tossed into the fire. The heat caused the shrine to explode like a bomb, sending the walls tumbling outward.”

Some archaeologists believe that a religious crisis after the tsunami may have led to an Egyptian-influenced cult-like worship.

“Maybe the Egyptians sent help to the devastated island and influenced a change in religious beliefs,” he said. “The fiery destruction of Palaikastro and other Minoan sites may have been a reaction by the locals rejecting the new cult, or some other kind of social upheaval.”

“They are losing their values, and this is a reaction against it. The culture is shattered, and eventually the neighboring Myceneans from mainland Greece exploit this weakness and take over,” he continued. “Their arrival marks the end of this first great European civilization.”

How long did the Viking Age actually last? A couple of centuries?

Okay....although towards the end of that period it seems that the "traditional" (for want of a better word) Viking raid had given way to large fleets of Vikings under central authority as kings established themselves throughout Scandinavia. They do seem to have been less successful when employed in this manner but that is beside the point now.

The reasons given for Viking expansion, overpopulation and/or civil unrest could easily be adapted to the Sea People....who seem to have had a similar modus operandi to the Vikings. I'm still not sure how to factor the Phoenecians into the equation, though. That has all the trappings of someone making "a deal."

Remember, the Vikings always traded first before coming back at a later date to kill and plunder.

They sound like Republicans!