1177 BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed

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Interesting talk, for anyone who enjoys history and antiquity, based on a recent successful book by scholar Eric Cline. Not to be confused by fanciful video presentations by self-appointed youtube "historians" (as Cline himself likes to remind people).


Quote:From about 1500 BC to 1200 BC, the Mediterranean region played host to a complex cosmopolitan and globalized world-system. It may have been this very internationalism that contributed to the apocalyptic disaster that ended the Bronze Age. When the end came, the civilized and international world of the Mediterranean regions came to a dramatic halt in a vast area stretching from Greece and Italy in the west to Egypt, Canaan, and Mesopotamia in the east. Large empires and small kingdoms collapsed rapidly. With their end came the world’s first recorded Dark Ages. It was not until centuries later that a new cultural renaissance emerged in Greece and the other affected areas, setting the stage for the evolution of Western society as we know it today. Professor Eric H. Cline of The George Washington University will explore why the Bronze Age came to an end and whether the collapse of those ancient civilizations might hold some warnings for our current society.

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There is an alternative view that the post-Bronze Age dark ages are simply an artefact produced by faulty chronology (particularly, faulty Egyptian chronology):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Chronology_(Rohl)
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(2018-06-12, 07:31 AM)Chris Wrote: There is an alternative view that the post-Bronze Age dark ages are simply an artefact produced by faulty chronology (particularly, faulty Egyptian chronology):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Chronology_(Rohl)


I’m skeptical since it says it’s not been accepted by academic Egyptology.
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(2018-06-12, 06:49 PM)Ninshub Wrote: I’m skeptical since it says it’s not been accepted by academic Egyptology.

No, it hasn't been accepted, but some of the arguments are quite interesting.
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(2018-06-12, 06:49 PM)Ninshub Wrote: I’m skeptical since it says it’s not been accepted by academic Egyptology.

My sarcasm detector was wavering on this one. Not sure whether it was a straight comment or not.
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I'm calling sarcasm
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(2018-06-12, 10:58 PM)Oleo Wrote: I'm calling sarcasm

Oh. I suppose you're right. I'm too trusting.
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It was actually straight. I was expecting some reactions though... Tongue
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But Doug is the Egyptologist on this board so I'll let him be the deciding voice.
(2018-06-13, 01:02 AM)Ninshub Wrote: It was actually straight. I was expecting some reactions though... Tongue

I guess it's just me, I'm definitely not an expert in these matters, but in the past I used to read a lot of alternative ideas or interpretations of history, and one thing did emerge. The consensus view of history is a lot like a consensus view in science. Getting a fair hearing for alternative ideas can be extremely difficult, even when an idea may have some merit. Though I do accept that not every such idea has value.
(This post was last modified: 2018-06-13, 10:07 AM by Typoz.)
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