1177 B.C. The Year Civilization Collapsed

Written by renowned archaeologist and bestselling author Eric Cline, witness the remarkable events that led to the demise of the ancient civilised world, marking the beginning of the first Dark Ages in 1177 B.C. The Year Civilization Collapsed.

Thousands of years ago, in 1177 BCE, marauding groups known only as the Sea Peoples invaded and waged war against Ancient Egypt. Although ultimately defeated at the hands of the pharaoh's army and navy, the Ancient Egyptian's pyrrhic victory weakened Egypt so much that it soon slid into decline, as did most of the surrounding civilisations. In this book, author Eric Cline tells the gripping story of how the end of the ancient civilised world was brought about by multiple interconnected failures, ranging from invasion and revolt to earthquakes, drought, famine, and the cutting of international trade routes. Bringing to life a vibrant multicultural world, he draws a sweeping panorama of the empires of the age and shows that it may have been their very interdependence that hastened their dramatic collapse.

Now revised and updated, 1177 B.C. is a bold reassessment of what caused the Late Bronze-Age collapse and sheds light on the complex ties that gave rise to, and eventually destroyed, the flourishing civilisations of the era - and set the stage for the emergence of classical Greece and, ultimately, our world today.

Eric H. Cline (b. 1960) is an American author, historian, archaeologist, and professor of ancient history and archaeology at The George Washington University (GWU) in Washington D.C. He currently serves as a Professor of Classics and Anthropology and formerly acted as Chair of the Department of Classical and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, in addition to being the Director of the GWU Capitol Archaeological Institute.

This book is the precursor to Dr Cline's new release, After 1177 B.C. The Survival of Civilizations, which will be the subject of the Ashmolean Museum's upcoming online event: After 1177 B.C. : Eric Cline Author Talk. (Find out more information and book tickets here).