Sea Peoples and the Bronze Age Collapse: New Insights

The Sea Peoples, a confederation of seafaring raiders, are credited with hastening the collapse of Bronze Age civilizations around 1177 BC. Egyptian inscriptions at Medinet Habu name nine groups, including the Peleset (Philistines), Denyen (Danaans), and Sherden. Archaeological evidence, such as Mycenaean pottery in the Levant and a 2019 genetic study at Ashkelon, suggests these peoples were migrants from the Aegean and Southern Europe fleeing internal collapse. The Hittite Empire vanished, with Hattusa burned and records ceasing. Ugarit's king Ammurapi's final plea was found on a clay tablet. Egypt under Ramesses III survived the invasion after the Battles of Djahy and the Delta (c. 1175 BC), but emerged weakened. The Sea Peoples were later settled in Canaan, becoming the Philistines. Their destruction of major powers allowed the rise of Iron Age states like Israel, Aram, and Phoenicia.