The Ancient World’s Greatest Mystery: Who Were the Enigmatic Sea Peoples?
Exploring the origins of the culprits blamed for the Late Bronze Age collapse
In 1177 BC, Ammurapi, the last king of Ugarit, a port city in Northern Syria sent a frantic cry for help. The letter addressed to the ruler of Alashiya, a kingdom in Cyprus, said:
“My father, behold, the enemy’s ships came; my cities were burned, and they did evil things in my country. Does not my father know that all my troops and chariots are in the Land of Hatti, and all my ships are in the Land of Lukka? Thus, the country is abandoned to itself. May my father know it: the seven ships of the enemy that came here inflicted much damage upon us.”
The message never reached its destination. Ugarit, a great Bronze Age metropolis, was destroyed and its inhabitants massacred. Ugarit wasn’t the only one.
During the late Bronze Age, cities in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Mediterranean fell apart. Highly developed societies collapsed and never recovered. We call this series of unfortunate events the Bronze Age Collapse.
Who could have possibly caused such mindless destruction?
The Sea Peoples, a roving band of mariners, were found guilty! They staged a large-scale…
