Evidence for the Culprit in the Late Bronze Age Collapse

[Minimalist]

the Levant.

Drought.

https://www.academia.edu/6053886/Climat ... ern_Levant

The integration of well-dated, high resolution southern Levant environmental history based on a pollen record with archaeological and textual evidence from the entire eastern Mediterranean region enables us to dene the possible causes and duration of the Late
Bronze collapse.

Cold spells in the northern areas of the eastern Mediterranean and decrease in precipitation across the entire region had devastating effects on agriculture productivity and grazing opportunities. Such climatic pressure led to increased food prices and to social tensions due to competition for limited recourses. Groups in the north were forced to move to lands with more hospitable conditions in search of food, leaving a path of destruction and disorder and causing disruption in trade. Pastoral nomads, who depended on surplus grain in the sedentary communities, were especially vulnerable.

The long-term climatic changes inuenced the stability of the organized kingdoms in the region and led to systemic collapse of the previously well-integrated complex societies in the eastern Mediterranean, depopulation of large areas, urban abandonments and long-distance migration.

Wetter conditions in the southern Levant during the Iron I was the backdrop for the dramatic intensication of settlement in the highlands of the region. Two centuries later these new settlement systems gave birth to the two Hebrew kingdoms and other biblical nations—the Arameans in Syria and the Ammonites and Moabites in Transjordan.

Drought conditions caused the migrations/invasions of the Sea Peoples into the regions held by the Bronzed Age Palace Cultures.

[uniface]

So far, so good.

Now -- was that the cause of the collapse ? Or a symptom of what caused it ? :headscratch:

[Minimalist]

Yes. That seems to be the gist of it. Populations from outside the region hit the various palace cultures while they were weakened by the drought and overran them one by one.

[kbs2244]

I am confused on who came from where.
To me “Northern Mediterranean” means Greece and the shore of Turkey.

That has no relationship to the origin of the “Sea Peoples” that I can remember.
They came from a bit further south, with a history of being trading seafarers.
Picking up from the long overland trade routes.

The drought may explain a return to an overland return to a nomadic grazing culture, but a turn to a long distance, over open water, raiding culture?
Were the sailors carrying farmer passengers?

[Minimalist]

No one has a definitive view on the origins of the Sea People. There are all sorts of guesses.

[E.P. Grondine]

I think that should read "food scarcity" instead of "food prices".

I'll leave comment on the Sea Peoples to Sheppard Baird.

[Minimalist]

You know, E.P., part of the issue there is that archaeology tends to focus on the Eastern Med because that was the location of the recognizable kingdoms: Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Myceneans, Hittites, Hurrians, Minoans, etc. We've got pretty good evidence that a massive drought brought the Early Bronze Age to an end and this study is highly suggestive that another drought ended the Late Bronze Age.

But we have to recognize that no one is looking, thus far, for signs of these droughts in the Western Med. There is no requirement for a wall to be constructed across the Aegean and say, "okay it rained on the west side but not on the east side." So if the drought extended to the Western Med that there might have been contingents who made their way east. Shepp could still be right.

[E.P. Grondine]

You know, E.P., part of the issue there is that archaeology tends to focus on the Eastern Med because that was the location of the recognizable kingdoms: Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Myceneans, Hittites, Hurrians, Minoans, etc. We've got pretty good evidence that a massive drought brought the Early Bronze Age to an end and this study is highly suggestive that another drought ended the Late Bronze Age.

But we have to recognize that no one is looking, thus far, for signs of these droughts in the Western Med. There is no requirement for a wall to be constructed across the Aegean and say, "okay it rained on the west side but not on the east side." So if the drought extended to the Western Med that there might have been contingents who made their way east. Shepp could still be right.

Hi min -

Arcaheology as a science developed in Europe.

The ancient Near East was where the European's religious writings were developed.

The civilizations you mention were all literate, and left written records.

That is why you have the "focus" there.

[Minimalist]

All it takes is for someone to start digging for pollen in Iberia.

I am almost certain they have it there, too!

I agree with your reasoning but it is time to branch out.