Cline

1177 BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed by Eric H. Cline (2014)

Around 1200 BC, a cultural cataclysm occurred. Many civilizations of the eastern Mediterranean region began a sudden and rapid decline, with many disappearing completely by the end of the century. In 1177, while this was occurring, a group of warriors, called “the Sea Peoples” by modern scholars, battled against the army of Egypt. This battle was recorded by Pharoah Rameses III and became a major source for what is now referred to as “the Great Bronze Age Collapse” for which these marauding warriors were blamed. They were accused of pillaging and plundering the region, destroying whole cities and kingdoms, until finally stopped by Egypt. There is no record of where the Sea Peoples came from, however, or where they went. Who were they really and what really happened three thousand years ago? 1177 BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed is an attempt to figure out one of the great mysteries of history.

The story begins in the book’s prologue. Don’t skip it as it sets up the Cline’s thesis. He sets a historical bookmark at 1177 BC then jumps back three hundred years in Chapter One to about 1500 BC. There are five total chapters with the first three covering one century each. They describe what was happening in the region at the time. Who the major players were in the eastern Mediterranean and what they were like? What was the relationship and diplomacy between these powers? Et cetera. Individual figures, cultures, and events — many taught individually in my history classes: Egypt, the Hittites, Troy, Babylon, Mycenae, etc. — are woven together and put into context by Cline, creating a rich tapestry of living, breathing people. Chapter Four brings the reader back to where we started, to 1200, and focuses on the collapse itself and its aftermath. Finally, Chapter Five looks at all this information to come up with a theory about what really happened. Was it the Sea Peoples or something else? Don’t skip the epilogue either. It talks about the aftermath and sets up Cline’s sequel, After 1177 BC: The Survival of Civilizations (which I cannot wait to read).

1177 BC is deep, well-researched, informative, and easy to understand. It is educational and interesting and provides a look at the methods and practices of modern archaeology. There are also numerous charts and maps and an extensive bibliography of original sources and modern research which helped me follow along. I especially appreciated the chart that listed ancient place-names next to their modern ones.

In my opinion, chapter five was the most interesting. It transformed a historical analysis into a murder mystery — my favorite genre. Here, Cline becomes a detective investigating a cold case. The “crime” occurs in the prologue. Chapters One through Four is the search for clues by examining archaeology and reading the witness statements in the writings they left behind. Cline is methodical in his examinations. He goes step by step, making sure we follow his line of thought. The theories of other investigators are considered and the evidence weighed. When the author finally reveals his solution to the mystery, the reasoning is logical. I found the solution satisfactory. I also award Cline bonus points for mentioning Sherlock Holmes.

This book is excellent, and Cline is an excellent writer. He tries to make his book and its ideas accessible and the language understandable. I got the sense that Cline wanted 1177 BC to be user-friendly, so he periodically inserts what I’ll call “cultural landmarks”. These are historical references a historical amateur might recognize that are inserted when the discussion becomes technical to orient the reader and make sure we are following along. For example, Cline mentions the Trojan War repeatedly as he explains what was happening in the area around ancient Greece and Turkey. A few events from The Bible are referenced when we look at ancient Egypt and Middle East. Because of these landmarks, Eric Cline is, in my opinion, in the same category as author-historians Tom Holland and Adrienne Mayor: knowledgeable historians who write for everyone. The Bronze Age Collapse is a complicated topic. I appreciated the effort he put into making this subject accessible.

1177 BC: The Year Civilization Collapsed was a reread for me. I loved it the first time around and enjoyed it just as much the second time. I also wanted to read it for this blog and introduce this excellent book to you. 1177 BC is how I think history should be taught. How many of us, even those of us who actually like history, have had to sit through bad history classes? Many times, they were boring recitations of dry, disjointed names, dates, places, and events, totally stripped of anything interesting and relevant. This method is a tragedy because history isn’t boring at all. History is who we are and how we got here. History is a series of causes and effects instigated and exacerbated by good or bad decision-making. It answers the eternal question: “Why are things the way they are?” History is not individual people or cultures or nations just doing stuff in a bubble. All of it is interconnected. Cline emphasizes this theme again and again throughout the book as he explains what happened to these people all those centuries ago. It also becomes a mirror and a warning to our own society. I saw my own world reflected in it. These people and their issues, dead thousands of years, became instantly recognizable, relatable, real, and alive.