Globalism and Collapse in the Late Bronze Age World

Catalog description

Several Bronze Age kingdoms situated around the Eastern Mediterranean underwent a violent collapse around 1175 BCE. Archaeological and textual evidence suggest that two major socioeconomic processes played a part: the creation of the first known international system, and climate change. In our class we explore how ancient leaders reacted (or not) to these processes and what their reactions teach us about more current events. Charismatic leaders, fascism, colonialism, sexism, racism, capitalism, globalism, climate change, famine, migration, militarism, and collapse—all have correlates or origins in the Bronze Age that we study through a variety of textual sources, including the Amarna Letters, Ramesside papyri and cuneiform documents from Syria and Turkey. We also become familiar with several archaeological sites, including the Uluburun shipwreck and Ugarit, offering unique windows onto the transformative times at the end of the Bronze Age.