#latebronzeage — Public Fediverse posts

Back to Eric Cline's updated preface to "1177 BC The Year Civilization Collapsed":

"When the end came, as it did after centuries of cultural and technological evolution, most of the civilized and international world of the Mediterranean regions came to a dramatic halt in a vast area stretching from what is now Italy to Afghanistan and from Turkey down to Egypt. Large empires and small kingdoms, which had taken centuries to evolve, collapsed rapidly, from the Myceneans and Minoans to the Hittites, Assyrians, Babylonians, Mitannians, Cyppriots, Canaanites, and even Egyptians.

"And with their end came a period of transition, frequently described by scholars as the world's first Dark Age. It was not until centuries later that a new cultural renaissance emerged in greece and the other affected areas, settig the stage of the evolution of society as we know it today." (Cline, 1177BC, page xvi).

However, "Some regions in Greece, such as Attica, Euboea, and central Crete, recovered economically from these events faster than others, but life for common Greeks would have remained relatively unchanged as it had for centuries. There was still farming, weaving, metalworking and pottery but at a lower level of output and for local use in local styles," (Wikipedia, The Greek Dark Ages).

In other words, #Degrowth! Also, the foundations of democracy (though limited to Greek male landowners). "Greece during this period was likely divided into independent regions organized by kinship groups and the oikoi or households, the origins of the later poleis. Most Greeks did not live in isolated farmsteads but in small settlements." So, smaller settlements and groups. Kinda what is predicted in some of the #LtG scenarios, but with the added *bonus* of pollution. (There was also #ClimateChange during the #LateBronzeAge, which was marked by droughts and crop failures).

Will we form smaller communities? Will we unite and use technology wisely before it's too late? Time will tell...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_Dark_Ages

#SocietalChange
#SW #LtG #LimitsToGrowth
#HistoryRepeating #BronzeAgeCollapse

🔴 **Late Bronze Age Metal Exploitation and Trade: Sardinia and Cyprus**

“_An array of new provenance studies demonstrates the complexity of the Bronze Age metal trade and, taking a maritime perspective, provides the opportunity to reveal how strategically positioned actors such as Nuragic Sardinia managed to dominate sea-borne routes, and gained a prominent and independent international position._”

Sabatini, S. and Lo Schiavo, F. (2020) ‘Late Bronze Age Metal Exploitation and Trade: Sardinia and Cyprus’, Materials and Manufacturing Processes, 35(13), pp. 1501–1518. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/10426914.2020.1758329.

#OpenAccess #OA #Research #Article #History #Archaeology #LateBronzeAge #Metals #Copper #Tin #Lead #Mining #Trade #Nuragic #Sardinia #Cyprus @histodon @histodons @archaeodons

'In all, 124 pottery vessels were analyzed for ancient dietary lipid residues, and the functional specialization of several pottery types was determined.' https://phys.org/news/2024-05-pottery-residue-explores-culinary-traditions.html #foodshistory #ceramics #foodarchaeology #EarlyNeolithic #LateBronzeAge