The period of ancient history from about 3000 BCE to 1100 BCE is called the Bronze Age. Humanity’s transition to this period is marked by a significant technological development: the crafting of bronze. The innovation served a crucial role in the advancement of warfare and agriculture. Having been made of bronze, the weapons were deadlier and the tools sturdier; however, it was not cheap to produce and distribute (Brooks, 2019). As such, bronze was utilized only by powerful empires, making them even stronger. The New Kingdom of Egypt was able to conquer more land than any other Egyptian empires before it (Brooks, 2019). Due to the enhanced effectiveness of the army equipped with bronze weaponry, a whole series of powerful empires of North Africa and the Middle East emerged; they traded, established diplomatic relationships, and fought.
Despite the technological advances and the power of these empires, most of them collapsed between 1200-1100 BCE with no definite explanation. The surviving evidence indicates that a series of droughts undermined whole regions’ social and political stability (Brooks, 2019). In support of this theory, archeologists discovered strong scientific evidence of the climate becoming warmer and more arid (Brooks, 2019). The indicators of a series of invasions of the entire eastern Mediterranean region also exist (Brooks, 2019). As such, the reason for the collapse of the Bronze Age can be considered a combination of events caused by the environment and humans. I believe that even humanity’s mistakes from such a distant historical period like the Bronze Age can still teach an important lesson. According to Brooks (2019), the reason for uncertainty over the collapse of the Bronze Age is the poorly kept records or complete negligence of the task. As such, humanity nowadays should care more about recording historical events for future generations.
Reference
Brooks, C. (2019). Western Civilization: A Concise History: Volume 1. Portland Community College.