The Late Bronze Age World

MEDITERRANEAN PEOPLES HIST 1301 | History The Late Bronze Age World Egypt became a powerful economic and military powerhouse throughout the Late Bronze Age, which roughly spanned the 16th to the 12th century BCE, and it influenced the Eastern Mediterranean and beyond. A unique combination of political stability, economic prosperity, and cross-cultural contact across multiple strong kingdoms defined this age. Among them was Minoan Crete, known for its highly developed marine culture and intricate palace complexes with colourful murals that depicted religious rituals and daily life. With its welldeveloped warrior culture and fortified citadels, Mycenaean Greece had a profound influence on the geopolitical climate of the time. The Hittites of Anatolia (present-day Turkey), in addition to Egypt, gained notoriety by building a strong empire with sophisticated metallurgical methods and shrewd political ties. Significant authority was possessed by the Mitanni and Assyrians in northern Mesopotamia, while the Kassites and Elamites ruled over southern Mesopotamia and western Iran, respectively. These civilizations had a redistributive economic framework, which allowed them to participate in vast trade networks while having different cultures and governmental systems. In this arrangement, agricultural products were taxed, held in central palaces or temples, and then dispersed across urban areas to fund a class of non-agricultural craftsmen, merchants, and administrators. Additionally, the advent of horse-drawn chariots transformed warfare, with elite fighters skilled in chariot warfare serving as the core of armed forces throughout the area. Common diplomatic norms, such as the use of Akkadian cuneiform for official writing and the arrangement of royal family marriages to build military alliances, regulated interactions between these countries. In order to avoid going to war, vassal kingdoms paid tribute to powerful nations, creating a complicated web of political ties that moulded the Late Bronze Age's geopolitical environment. Prized commodities like Greek wine, Levantine cedar, and Cypriot copper were traded throughout the Eastern Mediterranean, fostering cultural interchange and economic success. This product trade promoted creative creativity and cultural dissemination, which resulted in the creation of new works of art and scientific breakthroughs. The coastal kingdom of Ugarit, which is situated in present-day Syria, is one prominent instance of cross-cultural interaction. Here, Egyptian hieroglyphics were altered by scribes to produce an alphabetic script appropriate for their Semitic Canaanite language. This set the stage for the subsequent creation of alphabetic writing systems that would influence the history of humanity. The connection between these civilizations produced tremendous cultural achievements, such as epic poetry and sacred mythology, in addition to language advances. Scribes of Ugarit recorded ancient epic poetry with tales revolving around their primary deity, the storm god Baal, using the recently created alphabet. In addition to protecting cultural legacy, these literary works influenced the growth of social mores and religious convictions in the area. In summary, the Eastern Mediterranean's leading kingdoms had exceptional political stability, economic prosperity, and cross-cultural contact throughout the Late Bronze Age. These civilizations created linked networks via commerce, diplomacy, and military conquest, which set the stage for the advancement of human civilization.