Around 1200 BC, every major Bronze Age civilization collapsed within decades

The interconnected world of the Mycenaeans, Hittites, and New Kingdom Egypt unraveled within a generation or two. Cities burned, trade networks broke down, and some regions lost writing itself for centuries. Historians still argue over the cause, pointing to invading 'Sea Peoples,' drought, earthquakes, and internal revolt compounding each other rather than one single culprit.

— Eric H. Cline, 1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed — Princeton University Press, 2014 (revised ed. 2021)
Go deeper: get the book →