Late Bronze Age Collapse

Bronze Age Collapse (BAC) World History

Overview[edit | edit source]

also referred to as the "Late Bronze Age collapse" in that the events happened "late" in the Bronze Age period
a period of social, economic and political disruption, warfare, famine & illiteracy
marked by collapse of major state powers, including New Kingdom Egypt, Hittites, Kassites (Babylonia), Mycaenean kingdoms
the archeological record shows that nearly every city between Greece and the southern Levant (modern Lebanon/Israel)
- urban areas that survived were in Phoenicia (in modern Lebanon/Syria), Assyria (modern Iraq)

from Sanskrit marya for "young warrior"
chariot-mounted aristocratic warriors
- were granted land and status in exchange for military service
- largely similar to the Roman Equine class or Medieval knights
Maryannu military technique was to over-run the enemy with chariots
see "Military techniques" here

from Akkadian ḫabiru for "dusty, dirty"
- also written as hapiru or apiru
Habiru were nomads, herders, mercenaries, outlaws, laborers, escaped slaves
- who were not under direct state control
- largely located along the Levant (Eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea)
- were not of common ethnicity or language
some groups were rebels from larger states, including from the Egyptians
some had organized, hereditary leadership (kings or warlords) that negotiated with more organized states
- could serve as mercenaries and laborers
during the BAC, Habiru likely contributed to the chaos and destruction of cities
- people fled the cities and joined for formed new Habiru

metallurgy = working with metals to make tools, weapons, etc.
- metallurgy requires access to ores, wood for high-heat to melt them, and techniques to mix metals in order to re-form them into useful weapons and tools
bronze is made from tin and copper
- bronze is expensive and difficult to make
- Bronze weapons were used by elites
- its ingredients and manufacture shaped trade routes and exchanges between states
  - tin and copper are not generally found near one another
  - wood is needed for furnaces that could reach needed temperatures to forge bronze
cast bronze
- "forged" metal is shaped and hardened by hammering
  - forged bronze is stronger than "cast" bronze, but more difficult to make
- "cast" metal is pouring molten metal into a mold or die
  - cast metal, whether iron or bronze is easier and cheaper to make and replicate

iron-making
- iron-making started in central Europe and spread into the Middle East
  - the Hittites adopted iron-making << confirm/evidence
- iron ore is plentiful and widespread
  - unlike bronze, iron can be made with locally-found ingredients
  - therefore iron-making does not require access to trade networks
- iron is easy to work and easily replicated when casting tools and weapons
  - therefore, iron weapons were more plentiful
  - and lower-classes had access to them

with greater quantities of replicable "cast" weapons
- armies of more soldiers had access to weapons that were before reserved for elites
- the mryannu were likely easily defeated by masses of soldiers using superior and more quantities of thrusting weapons such as long swords and javelins, as well as more easily fabricated spear and arrow heads
- Homer used the word for "spear" as a reference to "warrior"

approx. 1100-800 or 750 BC
the BAC led to collapse of Mycenaean kingdoms of Greece
the events are thought to be documented in the Iliad regarding the Battle of Troy
followed by the "Archaic period," 850 or 750 to 450 BC
- marked by growth of Greek city-states (poleis) and general population