What caused the decline of the Bronze Age, and who is ultimately responsible for it? Generations of archaeologists have debated every record of this 3,000-year-old event. The informative documentary, “The Bronze Age Collapse,” draws on the latest research to separate fact from folklore.
The Bronze Age took place around 3000 BC. What replaced it by 1200 BC was characterized by major innovations that drove the progress of civilization and contributed to a prosperous economic and cultural landscape. Its demise is often attributed to the barbarism of the Sea Peoples, an alliance that waged war against Egypt and the surrounding region. The Sea Peoples ultimately lost the battle, but their power and destruction weakened the region so much that they were ultimately doomed.
The film takes cues from modern researchers who have long challenged this official narrative. Do the Sea Peoples really have the power and influence necessary to ensure Egypt’s downfall? Or did the source of their downfall come from within? The reasons for the collapse, the film claims, are far more complex and require a keen understanding of the connections between each of the countries involved.
To speculate on the culprits behind the collapse, the film delves into the 13th century BC. and later outlines the major conflicts between Greece, Assyria, the Hittite Empire, and the New Kingdom of Egypt. It is a story of bitter conflict over trade routes, tense power struggles between nations, natural disasters paving the way for man-made disasters, and growing civil unrest. Many of these insights come from the famous history book 1177 BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed, by Eric H. Cline.
Collapse of the Bronze Age features nearly an hour of in-depth narrative and a series of source materials and illustrations that illuminate each piece of history throughout the exploration. The film conveys a vivid sense of place and time, the lives of people and the struggles they face. It examines this long-accepted story from a whole new angle, revealing details that even the most dedicated historian might miss.
Directed by: Charles Snart
