Bronze Age Collapse
A catastrophic systems failure wipes out nearly every major civilization in the Eastern Mediterranean within decades.
Between roughly 1200-1150 BCE, the Hittite Empire, Mycenaean Greece, the Kassite dynasty of Babylon, and numerous Levantine city-states collapsed. Egypt survived but was severely weakened.
Perspective
Eric Cline's work on this is essential. It wasn't one cause — it was cascading failures: drought, invasion, trade disruption, internal revolt, earthquakes. Sound familiar? Complex interconnected systems fail together. This is the first recorded example of systemic collapse, and it won't be the last.
Open in interactive timeline →Frequently Asked Questions
What was Bronze Age Collapse?
Between roughly 1200-1150 BCE, the Hittite Empire, Mycenaean Greece, the Kassite dynasty of Babylon, and numerous Levantine city-states collapsed. Egypt survived but was severely weakened.
When did Bronze Age Collapse happen?
Bronze Age Collapse: ~1,200 BCE.
Why does Bronze Age Collapse matter?
Eric Cline's work on this is essential. It wasn't one cause — it was cascading failures: drought, invasion, trade disruption, internal revolt, earthquakes. Sound familiar? Complex interconnected systems fail together. This is the first recorded example of systemic collapse, and it won't be the last.
Sources & Further Reading
Cite This Page
AskHistoryAI. “Bronze Age Collapse.” AskHistoryAI — Interactive Timeline of Everything. Updated 2026-09-11. https://askhistoryai.com/event/anc-003/
Every fact on this page is checked against the published fact ledger and methodology; sources are listed above.