Sea Peoples: What Happened
The Sea Peoples were groups of seaborne raiders and migrants who swept through the eastern Mediterranean around 1200 BC, at the height of the Bronze Age Collapse. Most of what we know about them comes from Egyptian records, especially carvings at the temple of Medinet Habu, where Pharaoh Ramesses III recorded his victory over them around 1177 BC. The inscriptions name several groups, including the Peleset, Sherden, Shekelesh and Denyen. The Peleset are widely linked to the Philistines, who settled on the coast of Canaan, and some scholars have connected the Denyen to the Danaans, a name Homer uses for the Greeks. Letters from the Syrian city of Ugarit describe enemy ships attacking just before the city was destroyed. The Sea Peoples were once blamed for the entire collapse of Bronze Age civilizations. Today, most historians see them as both a cause and a symptom, displaced people on the move during a time of drought, famine and upheaval, who added to the chaos that brought down the Mycenaean world and its neighbors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who were the Sea Peoples?
The Sea Peoples were groups of seaborne raiders and migrants who attacked the eastern Mediterranean around 1200 BC. Their exact origins are unknown, and they are known mainly from Egyptian records.
Where did the Sea Peoples come from?
Their origins are still debated. Scholars have suggested the Aegean, Anatolia, Sardinia, Sicily and other parts of the Mediterranean. They were probably a mix of peoples displaced during a time of crisis.
Who defeated the Sea Peoples?
Pharaoh Ramesses III of Egypt defeated the Sea Peoples around 1177 BC and recorded his victory in carvings at his temple of Medinet Habu, near Luxor.
Were the Philistines one of the Sea Peoples?
Yes. The Peleset named in Egyptian records are widely identified with the Philistines, who settled on the southern coast of Canaan, in the area of modern Gaza, after 1200 BC.
Did the Sea Peoples cause the Bronze Age Collapse?
They were once blamed for the whole collapse. Today most historians see them as both a cause and a symptom, displaced people on the move during drought and upheaval who added to the chaos.
