This episode is a pretty good summary of what we know, and you’re basically correct. It seems likely that the “sea peoples” were not really a specific group, but essentially refugees from various places that collapsed earlier.
Yeah, for sure - climatic upheaval always means large scale human migrations, as we can see today.
Some of groups listed by Ramesses III had been recorded as raiding egypt multiple times going back 50+ years before the raids/migrations mentioned at Medinet Habu. So while migrations were almost certainly going on, straight up piracy and raiding were probably also going on.
It’s easy to imagine mercenary groups that used to work for Mycenean or Hittite interests or local warlords who had been vassals to lords of collapsing states realizing that there was more profit elsewhere. The Sherden in particular seem to have been raiding Egypt for a while, with more and more groups listed as joining them on subsequent raids.
Fall of Civilizations: Episode 2: The Bronze Age Collapse
This episode is a pretty good summary of what we know, and you’re basically correct. It seems likely that the “sea peoples” were not really a specific group, but essentially refugees from various places that collapsed earlier.
Yeah, for sure - climatic upheaval always means large scale human migrations, as we can see today.
Some of groups listed by Ramesses III had been recorded as raiding egypt multiple times going back 50+ years before the raids/migrations mentioned at Medinet Habu. So while migrations were almost certainly going on, straight up piracy and raiding were probably also going on.
It’s easy to imagine mercenary groups that used to work for Mycenean or Hittite interests or local warlords who had been vassals to lords of collapsing states realizing that there was more profit elsewhere. The Sherden in particular seem to have been raiding Egypt for a while, with more and more groups listed as joining them on subsequent raids.