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Didn't the Battle of Kadesh (1274BC) occur before the Sea Peoples attacked Egypt(from 1236BC onwards)? Also, the Hittites and Egyptians had established an alliance in 1259BC. So, by the time the sea people's attacked, there was no war with the Hittites for them to partake in. In the past, my personal theory used to be that the treaty between the Egyptians and Hittites caused the rise of the "sea peoples" (the sea people's were basically pirates and marauders). That treaty probably resulted in a very large amount of mercenaries who suddenly found themselves unemployed. So they resorted to piracy and marauding (becoming the "sea peoples" and the "land peoples" )
Hey Dan, I really love your series. I was hoping you could do a video on the advent of boat "Sail" and it's possible origin in the middle east being used to transport logs down river and it's eventual adaption to canoes/boats and then spread to the rest of the world and how this may have influenced various cultures from the Polynesians to the Vikings. It makes one wonder if the sail originated in the middle east or possibly in multiple different cultures throughout time. A fascinating piece of ancient technology.
Hi Dan, just found your channel and 12 minutes in I've already subscribed. I love the detailed analysis. I wonder if it is possible to trace metal ore sources via isotopes like they do to find out where granite, etc. was quarried. If anyone has any insight I would love to hear about it. Cheers from Chicago!
What my theory is no doubt there was a cooling event and no doubt a lot of people went rampaging like in the great migration period. But maybe because the supply of tin from the east was no longer a viable source due to the climatic events and these people still had access to tin so it would make perfect sense to strike your enemy when their supply of bronze weaponry can no longer be made. Lets face it it was a success until Egypt fought them off and i bet they thought lets call it a day with the spoils we have already taken after the 2nd defeat. It also makes sense that Greece was the fastest to bounce back as they where closest to the places where these rampaging people came from so when things settled down again their trade with mainland Europe could start again putting them in a much better position to take advantage of the weaker nations around the Med.
Your videos and narratives transport me. My undergrad was in anthropology and none of my harvard-educated professors were able to bring history to life in a semester like you can in a 20-minute video. Your work makes me life better. Thank you
@@DanDavisHistory I've praised your work, before. ;) I must concur with Tim. For several years, I've been an ad hoc research assistant for a professor who specializes in Indo-European history, culture, mythologies and genetics. You are very, very, good, Dan. :) Solid research. Great 'scripts'. Perfect voice and narration for the material. World class work, as always. (I'm now retired, but assisting and mentoring that younger colleague keeps my hand in the game and keeps my mind busy. Encouraging people like you is simply a wonderful bonus.)
The only History teacher that brought history to life like this for me was Mr.Switzer. He taught several courses at Holmes CC in Ridgeland MS. No professors at University even came close. I wish that he would have written professionally.
There was an interesting paper that hypothesized that heavily bronze armored warriors in Mycenaean Greece in the Late Bronze Age was a similar change in fighting doctrine like the introduction of plate armor in the Late Middle Ages. It upset the mix of light infantry and charioteers that came before. Almost immediately at the same time you see slender but robust Naue II swords, narrow bladed spearheads, maces, and spiked war hammers, all traditional "can opener" weapons.
Well Said, but the mace is perhaps not so much of a can opener as a blunt force trauma weapon. Still effective at killing a person in plate armour though.
Very enjoyable video, Mr. Davis. I remember chatting with people about a Bronze Age European grave that had a body foreign to the local culture; we were wondering how it might have ended up there, seemingly buried with honor. Someone suggested the man was accepted into society through his service to the local chief. Interesting to see that concept expanded upon here! Top quality, as always. Cheers!
Mr. Davis, the podcast of the Lotuseaters recently did a 'contemplations' segment on Romulus, his historicity and the mythology of Rome's founding. I referenced you in a comment and there are many fans of yours there. A collaboration or guest appearance by you would be great for both parties and much appreciated by many. You're both Brits, so travel shouldn't be an issue. Food for thought.
damn lotuseaters ate my comment yesterday ! just because I pointed out (politely enough, I would argue) that the sun isn´t shining that bright for the european metal detectorists, compared to brittain - seemingly can´t have someone spoiling their "white pill" with dark reality there those entries of this obnoxious pussysite-spambot who commented even before me, are still there.....
@@feldgeist2637 When I first read your comment, I thought 'this is some salty guy who used 'naughty words'...so I conducted a little experiment. No 'forbidden words' just a critique of some of Carl's 'Dadist' advice in light of stats regarding the family court system...yeet: Gone in less than 5 minutes. Disappointing to say the least.
@@platoplombo15 I truly hate how managed and designed the comment section has become on many channels either the owners, some deranged admins, yt itself or god knows who else is pushing you down intp the abyss of the section, shadowbanning or outright deleting you
I think it's amazing how much we know. Just by pure chance all those several tens of thousands of clay tablets with cuneiform writing have survived and been found. Without them we would know a small fraction of what we know.
I was wondering how you would approach the enigma of 'The Sea Peoples'. You held it lightly, and didn't force assumptions upon a period that is , as yet , unknowable. Good work. An informative addition to a period of history that retains it's shroud of secrecy.
I have watched all of Dan’s videos and finished reading Gods of Bronze book one last night. It is a great combination for learning about historical concepts and also being entertained. I could almost hear Dan’s voice while I was reading. I did have one surprise, though, which was how much the described way of life reminded me of the Native American Plains peoples. I have not read anything about them before the introduction of the horse, but that seems like it would be an interesting topic.
It comes with sharp relief to find this. For years I've been trying to write a Bronze Age novel and I had this kind of subconscious fixation to use mercenaries, but I could not be sure whether that was a historical thing or not. I did not exactly have access to information like this. Makes me gladder than ever I found your channel.
Finally! After literal years the TH-cam algorithm suggested something I actually WANTED to watch and was very entertaining! Subscribed I'm binging all your videos now!
Yessssssss, Mr Davis, a lot of my current writing has been along the lines of Bronze Age mercenary work. This couldn’t have dropped at a better time! I’ve got something to watch over breakfast now!
This is an amazing choice for a video topic. I don't think the Bronze Age Collapse gets nearly enough detailed concrete attention, it's often portrayed as this vague abstract event about which little can be known, and this video of yours counterweights that impression with veracity. I don't want you to die without knowing how much this video makes the little-discussed corners of my mind feel seen and heard, because I privately speculate and research about the Bronze Age Collapse a great deal especially in regards to the role of secret societies. I would love to see you do some videos delving into concrete knowledge of secret societies in the neolithic era and bronze age.
The amount of research and knowledge on display in your videos is absolutely staggering. The way you show so many pictures of artefacts really hits home the complexity and sophistication of the ancient cultures that didn't leave us any textual evidence. I've yet to come across a channel that does these ancient societies justice better than yours. Thank you.
The Naue Type ii was an innovative game changer and the design was so good that it was crafted in iron hundreds of years later during the Iron Age, influencing future sword designs. Compare the Naue sword with the Egyptian Khopesh sword which could only be used to slash. The slashing/thrusting sword could be used in tighter, denser formations, concentrating combat power which is an essential military strategy as opposed to looser formations with soldiers swinging their swords and requiring lots of room. This was adopted by the later Romans with their shield and gladius formations. Civilized armies prior to the collapse were based on chariot warfare. One hypothesis is that chariot runners (light infantry) armed with numerous javelins would volley fire (adopted by Romans and peltasts with their javelin volley fire) and kill the chariot horses and then proceed to kill off the crew. Alexander did this with his peltasts at the Battle of Gaugamela to annihilate the Persian chariots. These volleys would also kill or wound armored infantry which could be surrounded and then killed. The armored infantry would be exhausted by the hit and run tactics and eventually collapse where they would be finished off. During the Pelopponesian War a contingent of Spartan hoplites were defeated by peltasts who were similar to chariot runners. Lead slingshot rounds and javelins whittled away the Spartans along with hit-and-run tactics. The solution to light infantry peltasts was combined arms which Alexander knew as a Great General but forgotten by many subsequent generals. If the Spartans had their own peltasts and cavalry, they would have killed the enemy force with little problems. The Romans knew this and defeated the Macedonians for supremacy of Greece.
the phalanx had a solution to light infantry, and it was the tactic of ekdrome. The spartans did have light infantry and cavalry. Especially light infantry was plenty. it did not help them. Shields, especially very large shields, are very effective against all kinds of projectiles. Usually the only way for projectile weapons to be effective they have to get to aim around the shield (either by getting a different angle from increased height or by getting around). And I do not have the impression that, compared to the hellenistic combined arms concept, the Roman way of waging war was particularly more effective on a tactical level. They did seem to struggle a lot and relied heavily on local allied forces to achieve victory. Their success seems to be due to their own alliance's stability and their diplomatic achievements. All swords can be used in formation. Cutting makes less sense against metal armor, but has more stopping power. Short swords are more nimble than long swords of the same weight. Also less prone to breaking. And harder to parry (becase short, there is simply less blade to deflect or bind,) Shield combat becomes way more deadly (/shields protect less well) the closer you get because of an increase in possible attack angles. Nimble weapons tend to be more advantageous the closer you get. Same goes for weapons that are hard to parry. Tight formations do not increase general "combat power" (quite the opposite) they increase the effectiveness of shields and helmets. Hence (one of the reasons) why during the peloponesian war, when depictions of bronze armor suddenly become much rarer, formations tend to get tighter.
Aww yeah! As a teenager I read the "Ramses" novels serie by the French author Christian Jacq: I wonder if you happen to come around some English translated versions of these books... One of the main characters was a Sardinian mercenary acting as a body guard of yound Ramses II, echoeing well to this video. These novels were so great! It also reminds me of the Egyptian novels saga from Wilbur Smith, one of my favorite adventure novelists.
Amazing analysis and video presentation! The details are always apt, and seem to distill the information of all the relevant scholars -- David Anthony, Asko Parpola, N.K. Sandars, Robert Drews, etc. And the narration is elegant and smooth. One can see that though the video footage is mostly stock, it has been curated with great care and with quality editing. Thanks Dan Davis!
Hi Dan don't believe I got an alert fantastic can't wait to listen to this , just finished God born , Dan what a fantastic book I'm hooked going to read everything loved it , it's the part of history I love the different tribes ,people, places and beliefs just Brilliant great work , now on to the vid looking forward to this. Peace 🇮🇪
I took Ancient Roman history my first year of undergrad studies. The prof managed to make it the most painfully dull class included in my degree. Sad but true.
Hey Dan, thanks for the well done videos. I had an interesting thought. Just an idea I had while watching some of your videos really, but... Potentially, Koryos bands were a bronze age "Merchant Marine" where, instead of being roaming thieves & bandits they became mercenaries. The untrained young men of a region's clans all gathered into larger companies to hire themselves out for merc work under the guidance & tutelage of an adult "captain", or "ceo" if you like, that would walk them through the rituals & train them in the skills needed to protect hearth, and home, as adults, in exchange for service in his company. Like an apprenticeship. That would solve what to do about rowdy adolescents and give their home communities a source of outside income and allow them to focus on family life without the angst of male puberty. Obviously some would fall on hard times, or suffer losses, and turn to banditry & raiding, etc but the majority would go out, do their "tours," and return home to take up community life. Additionally, based on the theory of the seasonal raids & conflicts, in this video, I'm reminded of the patterns of later Viking raids on the English & European side of the world & I'm wondering if the Sea peoples were potentially Koryos bands of "Proto-Vikings" who instead of doing their tours and going home, went on to become part of larger companies, armies seeking far away employment. Second sons, or the unlanded & itinerant, seeking to make their fortunes with service, or slaving, before going on to purchase land and start their own families/clans. Cheers & thanks again for the interesting topics.
I would be very pleased if you could make a video about bronze age/early iron age ships! Most people probably just have triremes and other, later classical greek ship types in mind. Eventhough minoan and mycenean boats were absolutely beautiful!
Absolutely love your descriptions. You remind me of a few of my history teachers who had a real passion for it. Its amazing. Ive long held the theory that humans in general have always been a sort of warrior people. We see examples of multi ethnic vagrant mercenary groups all through history and all over the world, and to a much larger scale in the modern world (if you really think about it) so i find it fascinating to learn more about ancient mercenary groups.
Really enjoyed that Mr. Davis. I have a better understanding of how the history of that region truly dates from antiquity, and continues into the present. Fascinating to grasp that these ancient, now modern, cultures have been interacting for millennia. Thanks again for such a quality product. Check out a film: "The Legend of Tomiris" . It's a Kazakh film with subtitles. It takes place during the Bronze Age and the weaponry and horseman/womanship are quite well done IMO. I'm sure you know who Tomiris is, and I believe you will enjoy the movie. A review would be cool. No pressure.
Thank you Mr McBoom. I do know Tomiris, I talked about her a bit in the horse warriors video but I did NOT know there was a film about her, I will check it out. Cheers!
@@BoomerMcBoom According to Herodutos which Herodutos himself admits that he heard this story from someone else. Other writers would then base their accounts of Tomyris off of Herodutos'.
@@timurthelamest5630 Is Herodotos the first historical reference to Tomiris? Most, if not all, historians hear their stories "from someone else". Not many first hand, and unbiased, historical accounts. History is always being updated and corrected. The Trojan Wars were also a myth, until they weren't.
This makes sense, the ancient Greeks considered themselves descendants of the Dorian invaders, the same people who migrated into Greece and brought down the Mycenaean civilization giving rise to the Polis City-State.
Once again you've proposed well educated speculations about Bronze Age Europe that I have not heard of from established academics. You'd be a great archaeologist or historian! You have the gift.
Thank you! I don't think I would be a great archaeologist or historian as I don't have the patience or the intelligence. This video and all my videos are based on the work of real academics. I think my talent is in taking their work and telling it in an interesting way.
@@DanDavisHistory that's exactly what I used to think about my chances of becoming an academic. During my 20s through mid 40s, I thought I just didn't have either the patience or smarts to be an intellectual. And then aged 43 I took my MA in ESL and during that time I got acquainted in Linguistics. I successfully completed my MA and got accepted by a UK brick and mortar university to do a PhD in Applied Linguistics. I am now in my 2nd year and realise that what they require is for you to read up on all the "real academics' in the field and present my own imaginative take on one particular angle, using the work of these academics. No more and no less. As my PhD advisor said "It's not like writing a novel." They just want you to show that you know what's been written about it." At any rate, either way, your videos are very well informed, well presented and above all, you give valid and measured speculations that are very original and reasonable. Cheers!
Great video, thank you! A minor suggestion though. I'm by no means an expert on audio, but in contrary to any other documentaries, series or music I consume, your video seems to come with very powerfull low tones that literally shake up my house when coming through my subwoofer. Never happens, so made me think it's something on your side. The narration and sound of your voice is a pleasure regardless though!
Not sure where I heard this but one theory of the BAC (Bronze Age Collapse) is the infantry who supported the elite chariot units of the Med Kingdoms revolted. If some of that infantry were foreign elite mercenaries these two suppositions can be self supporting.
As an advanced amateur cook, I can tell you that even raw pig skin can re almost impossible to cut or slice. I think I cold feel quite safe in a "boiled leather" lightweight armored vest. Cheaper and lighter than Bronze.
That was avery good narration for an easier learning experience for those with not a lot of time to read. Africa and Europe is really the history that a majority of people of the United States, unless Native blood line is involved, myself included on both sides of that coin. I'm hyped for all 20 videos, I've always loved the history classes in school and these are definitely a better tool of understanding where the other half of my ancestory derives from! People should learn this history to help avoid any more of an undesired tyrannic leadership of angry men that have greedy menstrual cycles if you will. We are all related down the line. Story's of the lands you are referring to. Thank you for the information and I can't wait to subscribe to more of the priceless history lesson with your teachings. Thank you, thank you!!! One love,Bless up.
Thank you for another fascinating look at warriors of the Bronze Age. Your videos are incredibly well-researched and well-structured, not to mention entertaining without getting too carried away by conjecture. Always interesting to hear insights into the Bronze Age Collapse. (Note: There's a couple of typos on the map graphic used at 17:25, where Mediterranean is written as "Meditteranean", and Mycenaean as "Myceanean" in the legend)
Hi, I made a video about the Tollense DNA. We can rule out a meditereaen origin because genetically the Tollense warriors weren't Southern European. They were quite 'northern' genetically and match best populations who lived in Bronze age Hungary & late Neolithic Poland. We don't can't know exactly where they came from. They were apart of a mysterious genos who we don't understand yet. We just know they came from somewhere in mainland Europe north of the Mediterranean. Also, we know they were related to modern central-East Europeans in someway.
@@octodaddy4494 No. There were three mercenaries, one from France and one from Spain and one from somewhere near Lithuania. Then the rest were apart of that mysterious genos I mentioned in the previous post who we don't understand yet.
Thank you for the wonderful video. This theory seems the most likely to me. Multi ethic large groups of mercenaries kitted out by regional smiths where they served, band together to attack Africa. The similar but slightly different athestic of the armor and weapons of different companies helps Egyptian historians differentiate the groups, making them seem a specific "people." We don't know, but it seems logical.
Very interesting video. I've been fascinated by the Bronze Age collapse for years, ever since I began reading the work of Eric Cline. It does make sense that the Sea Peoples were a multi-ethnic and multi-tribal groups, gathered to fight for a short term before their confederacies dispersed into oblivion at the end of the Bronze Age. If that were the case then they remind me of groups such as the Alemanni during the Late Roman Period.
When I first heard about the Bronze Age collapse I was really fascinated by the whole Sea People-thing. I've read some article and it sounded like some fantasy lore: an unknown power came on boats and just burned one city after the other. And then this mysterious name, "sea people". It really reminded my of alien invasion movies.
@@Kuhmuhnistische_Partei Exactly... If you imagine... you are living like 2000 years in Bronze age, with clay tablets, small city states constantly battling each other and then many groups of mercenaries just show up and destroy everything in all areas of main "cradle of life". Who was thinking outside the box this much in those times? It was not raiding, they just destroyed everything in their path.
I have a question, maybe you or someone else knows something about it. How affordable were bronze weapons and armor for 'common' fighters during the bronze age? I've read that actual bronze swords and armor were items only the warrior elites and pharaoes ect. had and common fighters often still used weapons made from stone and wood. Axes for example were common tools and were often still made from stone and then probably also used in battle. And arrowheads were often made from flint. There are also examples of wooden clubs and mallets found on Bronze age battlefields. And that's the actual reason why people switched to iron when their smelting technology allowed it. The iron they used was of poor quality and early smelting was not that great, so early iron items were actually less durable than bronze items. But tin for bronze was hard to get while iron was quite easy to find. So they switched to iron and that allowed them to equip more people with weapons made from metal. I found the website I've read. It is a e-learning website and seems to belong the Pennsylvania State University. They have a course called "Materials in todays world". The article is called "Why Did it Take So Long Between the Bronze Age and the Iron Age?" and the relevant text is: "Most of the iron used in weapons during the Iron Age, i.e., Roman swords, was a low-density iron sponge-like material. This sponge-like iron was then pounded to shape, densify, and remove impurities. Bronze was superior to the iron produced commonly, so why did iron ultimately replace bronze? Bronze weapons were indeed of higher quality than the common iron weapons typically produced. However, tin, which is required for the production of bronze, is not abundantly available. As a consequence, bronze weapons were the weapons utilized by nobles, royalty, pharaohs, etc. The common foot soldier was not going to possess bronze weapons; there were not enough to go around. Unlike tin, iron ore is readily available. So, although inferior to bronze, an army of hundreds or thousands could be equipped with iron weapons, which was not practical with bronze weapons. So, the ability to produce large numbers of iron weapons overcame the advantages of bronze. Eventually, time and further development allowed for the production of these so-called legendary swords which supplanted bronze as the weapon material of choice for the nobility." But it's hard to find infos about this from other sources.
Thank you. Your way of telling history is great, almost holistic, as to say. I love to listen to you while you cover scientific findings with great narrative skills. This video makes me think how Blackwater and Wagner take over one day. Collapse.
I just sub to this channel and the background music is fire as well and how u explain history its way better than my teachers could ever explained it to me ,cuz they always gave me the vibe of not caring wat they were teaching
I feel like some overlap with the Koryos, bands of young warriors leaving their homelands to seek fame and fortune in far off lands. One could argue that these early mercenaries were just an evolution upon the older Koryos tradition.
Really thought provoking video, which poses a very poignant hypothesis; The Sea Peoples were not ethnic groups but bands of mercenaries, which if correct throws a lot of the established theories of origins on their heads. I have a hypothesis (based only on the name) that the Peleset were from the "Mycenaean" Kingdom of Pylos. After all Agamemnon and Menelaus held Old King Nestor in high regard, which would tend to suggest that he was King of a very powerful polity within Bronze Age Greece. If your hypothesis is correct, that negates my hypothesis. Very interesting.
Thank you. I must say it's not my hypothesis, I'm just relating the work of researchers like Barry Molloy. Also I'm also sure some of the named sea people groups were ethnic groups from one location. The Lukka were probably Lycians for example. The Sherden may have been Sardinians / Nuragic civilisation. Etc. And the Peleset very likely originated in Greece. Although which group they represent is unclear Pylos or Pelasgians etc. But considering the distribution of artefacts etc I think these primarily Mycenaean groups would have included foreign warriors from Balkans and Italy, possibly also from Pannonia and southern Germany area and maybe even Jutland and further afield. There does seem to be a distinct warrior culture distributed across this region that spreads across the Eastern Mediterranean during the "collapse" period.
Warrior/hunters/herders cultures prayed on farmers, as these were an easy target and it became a custom sanctioned by clan cults When farming conditions worsened, farming output worsened, farming communities lost scale and ability to defend with it, forced to concentrate to lower attack surface. Famines, droughts, stress of war brought diseases decimating them farther. This naturally forced waring cultures to first decrease scale of trade getting less from exchange or robbing. but it also decreased wild animals numbers as wild horses. so even hunting got problematic. suddenly farmers were forced to also use food sources that were taboo like fishing suddenly all previous niche specialisations and chain of dependencies collapsed leaving warring clans with only option to harras farmers even more and start harrasing each other it added internal strife also because clans borders were sacred, place of mir of order and peace the moment of internal competition had religious aftermath it ment Gods are angry and fight each other and reaction to that was need to appease Gods by sacrificing let say prisoners of war or when things get bad to keep internal stability to start big crusade what created a domino effect also in these new conditions suddenly the most obscure primitive constant warfare in scarce resources conditions of old hunter gatherers became a winning strategy changing completely breeding and type of people being born prompting these social structures economic strategies and affecting whole cultural narrative worldviews it really was similar to another wave of steppe dwellers climate caused expansion and because of established trade routes and information flow these trade routes became exactly the direction of expansion flow what interest me is if the trade was interrupted or kept going obviously "Greece" was well established in exchange with eastern Mediterranean powers some being royally intermarried despite etnic divisions it could explain how much was it spontaneous how much preplanned and premeditated
This was the Celtic/Gael expansion from Europe into Asia Minor and the Middle East. We know that the Gaels were in what is now Turkey and Israel. What is called the Bronze Collapse was in fact a invasion into the near east by the European Celtic tribes.
Another great video👍 the late bronze age is very interesting. European mercenary in the bronze age empires of the Eastern Mediterranean would be a good basis for a book 👍
Thank you. It's thought to be a bag with their belongings or supplies. Food like bread, cheese, dried meat. It may be an indication that these kinds of warriors were often travelling from place to place - like convoy guards and mercenaries.
I really like to imagine that some of these hired guards decided to work as a group. You meet the same warriors on each new job. You become friends. You learn to read each other and work as a team. You can advertise your organisation and discipline to the caravans. And they only need to hire you as a group, not individual warriors. And at some point, some of these mercenaries have learned the routes, know safe places to rest, places to trade, places to avoid. So they become caravaners themselves. One could write a whole historical fiction novel about a danish warrior going through that journey, forming a gang with fellow mercenaries, and finally becoming traders with his buddies. They see exotic places, meet new people, fight new enemies that are different and hone their skills, they might buy jewellery in Greece or Egypt for the wife back home, get a taste for beer instead of mead. They might even make friends with mercenaries from down south, creating a crew of people from all over the place that is known for their discipline, bravery, and loyalty.
I hope your doing very very well monetarily. Your work deserves it. I'll be donating, in the purchase of your books. You get to the Four Corners ring me up. Interesting area, tour guide at you service sir.
Great video. Wouldn't the warriors of the Iliad have been contemporaries or successors of these bronze age mercenaries. Warriors as well equipped as you describe are far from the "chariot runners" of Robert Drews "The End of the Bronze Age". They sound like an early form of heavy infantry, or an improved version of the Sumerians depicted on the Stele of the Vultures. Unless they were a forgotten attempt at strike cavalry that disappeared only to be reinvented a few centuries later.
I highly recommend you lookup the "Luwian Hypothesis." It explains the Bronze Age collapse perfectly. The Luwian/Lukkans/Lydians were not destroyed by the Trojan war. The Iliad describes the end of conflict without Troy being destroyed. The Greeks go home to deal with internal conflict (caused by drought). Two generations later, as the drought persists, the metal trade is affected. The Hittites seize Cyrus to get control of copper, and this triggers war with both the Greeks and Luwians. The fragment at Ugarit says they cannot defend themselves because their men are in the land of Lukka. Egypt was bound to Hattusa by the treaty of Ramases II, so that brought Greeks and Luwians into direct conflict with Egypt. The Sea People were Luwians and Greeks. Shekelesh = Cyclades. Tejeker = Trojan. Peleset = Pelagians. Ekwesh = Athens (?)
I agree with this hypothesis for the most part and think the Luwians have been the missing piece all along. Especially Luwian speaking groups and Greeks being brought into conflict with Egypt. But I also think it's more complicated and perhaps more international than even we think. There's some potential evidence that Shekelesh is in reference to ancient Sicilians rather than Cyclades. There's strong evidence that the Nuragic culture of Sardinia is what the Sherden/Shardanu referred too. There's also the italic Terramare culture that Dan covered in another video that migration/colonized/invaded parts of Greece. They too could have been part of the sea people's coalition, though which tribe is unclear. They could have also just gone as unnamed, but involved mercenaries. The Peleset are nowadays generally believed to the Philistines, based on the archaeology and the very helpful Egyptian stelles that depicted the different sea people tribes (this art also helps coincide with the Sherden identification). Ekwesh is possibly likely Achaeans, though so too were the Danans/Dananu, and the difference between Ahhiya/Ekwesh/Achaeans and Achaean Danans, and why they were listed separate (was it because they were? or is a Egyptian misunderstanding of foreign identities?) is still debated and not well understood. A Pelasgian reading for Peleset is interesting since the Pelasgians supposedly were the pre-Greek natives, based in Arcadia, according to Archaic Age Homeric writings. But for now I'm with the Philistine reading. Which still works because recent archaeological findings have pinpointed the Philistine origins to southwest Anatolia -- so a Luwian origin. Also I think the Tjekker are unlikely to be the Trojans as the contemporary name was Wilusa (modern Ilion). The name Troy came about from a different linguistic journey. From what I've read: Tjekker, as an Egyptian exonym, may be related to the Shekelesh (if that references Sicily) in some way because the characters for it could also be read as skl or Sical. Another hypothesis has been the Tjekker refer to the Teucri tribe, which lived south of Troy, but apparently that's been generally dismissed as pure speculation and needs more evidence. That would fit with a Luwian origin for them though. The only for sure agreed upon thing is the Tjekker seeminngly conquered Dor in Canaan, based on the Story of Wenamun. And that their leader was named/titled Beder, who was a deputy to the king of Tyre, which was Phoenician. They likely came into conflict with the Philistines after the latter settled in Canaan. Comparative linguistic analysis, newfound archaeogenetic studies, and archaeology between art depictions and items found in the dirt have been extremely helpful narrowing the gap, but a lot of things are unclear and still need to be studied until we know for sure.
@@Joyride37 Thank you for the considered comment. I agree about the Peleset. Yes, they settled in Palestine and became the Philistines. But their pottery, grave goods and weapons indicate they were Greek. The Sekelesh I agree gave their name to Sicily but to or from? It appears there were "original" inhabitants and later settles, that we call today Sicels 1 and Sicels 2. I think the Sicels-2 were Greek colonists from Cyclades. So that suggests the Sekelesh gave their name TO Sicily. The Sherden are mysterious. I agree with the connection to Sardinia, but again, TO or FROM? The Sherden made an early attack on Egypt and then became hired as mercenaries during the reign of Ramases II. Sardinia was a very important place in the Bronze Age, as I am sure you know. They wore horned helmets, seen in Egyptian paintings. But there was also a Luwian city called Sedha. If I ever become an amateur archeologist in my retirement, I would like to dig in Sardinia.
@@Joyride37 good thinking,but there's something that everyone is missing in this story. There are many reasons for me to believe that the Homer's Troy wasn't located in Anatolia, but rather north of Greece in the Adriatic sea. For example, Anatolia was under Hitite rule at the time of Trojan war and the Greeks already established some colonies there,trade was well developed,etc. On the other hand, Trojan war was basically an expedition to unknown, mysterious and dangerous land. There are dozens of ancient megalithic ruins scattered along Eastern Adriatic coast and islands that nobody knows nothing about. Same cyclopean walls like in Mycenae, but since this is Balkan,these things are simply swept under the rag. You can also find in this area unique stone monuments called stecak, I think over 70 000 of them only in Bosnia. Some of them depicting scenes from Iliad, tournaments, funerary games, dancers,scenes from Trojan mythology,etc. Dardanians Thracian Bryghians, Paeonians, those are all Balkan folks. Odysseus took ten years to get back home from his backyard? Homer's descriptions of climate,animals, vegetation, geography doesn't fit Anatolia also. Hisarlik could only be Trojan colony in Hitite land. I think you're right about Shardani-Sardinia and Shekeles-Sicily, but for Philistines,recent findings shows that they originated somewhere in South Europe.
@@BalkanCrusader of course you could find in Bosnia monuments of Greek culture , this should n surprise you , after all the Adriatic coast was heavily colonized by Greeks . But to say that Philistines originated from some unknown place in Southern Europe is an insult to any educated person . All of the Academics place Greece- Crete as the origin of the Philistines( including the Bible ) KAFTHOR-KAFTHORIM = Crete-Cretans . Than again,,,,,, Homers descriptions don't fit Asia Minor ? I don't know what kind of books you read friend but i strongly recommend you to start reading proper books
@@ideos5 no Greek colonies in the Adriatic prior to the 4-5th century BC. Google new findings about Philistines DNA,TH-cam won't let me put link here. Homer is only historian I believe, cause he's not historian but poet. And for ancient Greeks, there was no doubt that the Trojan war happened. You think you're smarter than Plato or Aristotle?
My curious mind always finds history , finding I go back to Anglo Saxons thrilled me but the early histories are also intriguing , like how was the forming of Bronze discovered especially as its an alloy of copper & tin ? Having been to Great Orme , North Wales where a discovery in a rubbish tip in the hill turned out to be a big BA copper mine which caverns & tunnels , is now a visitors attraction worth a visit .
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Didn't the Battle of Kadesh (1274BC) occur before the Sea Peoples attacked Egypt(from 1236BC onwards)?
Also, the Hittites and Egyptians had established an alliance in 1259BC.
So, by the time the sea people's attacked, there was no war with the Hittites for them to partake in.
In the past, my personal theory used to be that the treaty between the Egyptians and Hittites caused the rise of the "sea peoples" (the sea people's were basically pirates and marauders).
That treaty probably resulted in a very large amount of mercenaries who suddenly found themselves unemployed. So they resorted to piracy and marauding (becoming the "sea peoples" and the "land peoples" )
Hey Dan, I really love your series. I was hoping you could do a video on the advent of boat "Sail" and it's possible origin in the middle east being used to transport logs down river and it's eventual adaption to canoes/boats and then spread to the rest of the world and how this may have influenced various cultures from the Polynesians to the Vikings. It makes one wonder if the sail originated in the middle east or possibly in multiple different cultures throughout time. A fascinating piece of ancient technology.
Hi Dan, just found your channel and 12 minutes in I've already subscribed. I love the detailed analysis. I wonder if it is possible to trace metal ore sources via isotopes like they do to find out where granite, etc. was quarried. If anyone has any insight I would love to hear about it. Cheers from Chicago!
Excellent history as ever ! I really want to go read some of your books but my eyes are a mess right now maybe when I can fix those I can read again.
What my theory is no doubt there was a cooling event and no doubt a lot of people went rampaging like in the great migration period. But maybe because the supply of tin from the east was no longer a viable source due to the climatic events and these people still had access to tin so it would make perfect sense to strike your enemy when their supply of bronze weaponry can no longer be made. Lets face it it was a success until Egypt fought them off and i bet they thought lets call it a day with the spoils we have already taken after the 2nd defeat. It also makes sense that Greece was the fastest to bounce back as they where closest to the places where these rampaging people came from so when things settled down again their trade with mainland Europe could start again putting them in a much better position to take advantage of the weaker nations around the Med.
Your videos and narratives transport me. My undergrad was in anthropology and none of my harvard-educated professors were able to bring history to life in a semester like you can in a 20-minute video. Your work makes me life better. Thank you
Wow thanks that's an amazing thing to read, cheers Tim.
@@DanDavisHistory I've praised your work, before. ;) I must concur with Tim. For several years, I've been an ad hoc research assistant for a professor who specializes in Indo-European history, culture, mythologies and genetics. You are very, very, good, Dan. :) Solid research. Great 'scripts'. Perfect voice and narration for the material. World class work, as always. (I'm now retired, but assisting and mentoring that younger colleague keeps my hand in the game and keeps my mind busy. Encouraging people like you is simply a wonderful bonus.)
@@DanDavisHistory how did european martial arts develop ? Like in this era
The only History teacher that brought history to life like this for me was Mr.Switzer. He taught several courses at Holmes CC in Ridgeland MS.
No professors at University even came close. I wish that he would have written professionally.
His voice is perfect for narration, and story telling.
There was an interesting paper that hypothesized that heavily bronze armored warriors in Mycenaean Greece in the Late Bronze Age was a similar change in fighting doctrine like the introduction of plate armor in the Late Middle Ages. It upset the mix of light infantry and charioteers that came before. Almost immediately at the same time you see slender but robust Naue II swords, narrow bladed spearheads, maces, and spiked war hammers, all traditional "can opener" weapons.
Well Said, but the mace is perhaps not so much of a can opener as a blunt force trauma weapon. Still effective at killing a person in plate armour though.
@@HansenFT Yes, more of the can-crusher option there. Goes with the hammer half of the war hammer/picks.
@@HansenFT Blunt force can still open a can, I once opened a can of soup with a hammer so i'd say it counts.
I concur!
@@vaultdweller1386 my man just unga bunga'd his way into a can of soup
Very enjoyable video, Mr. Davis. I remember chatting with people about a Bronze Age European grave that had a body foreign to the local culture; we were wondering how it might have ended up there, seemingly buried with honor. Someone suggested the man was accepted into society through his service to the local chief. Interesting to see that concept expanded upon here! Top quality, as always. Cheers!
Mr. Davis, the podcast of the Lotuseaters recently did a 'contemplations' segment on Romulus, his historicity and the mythology of Rome's founding. I referenced you in a comment and there are many fans of yours there. A collaboration or guest appearance by you would be great for both parties and much appreciated by many. You're both Brits, so travel shouldn't be an issue. Food for thought.
Oh thanks, I'll have to look for that, cheers.
Shoutout to the Lotus Eaters! ❤️
damn lotuseaters ate my comment yesterday !
just because I pointed out (politely enough, I would argue) that the sun isn´t shining that bright for the european metal detectorists, compared to brittain - seemingly can´t have someone spoiling their "white pill" with dark reality there
those entries of this obnoxious pussysite-spambot who commented even before me, are still there.....
@@feldgeist2637 When I first read your comment, I thought 'this is some salty guy who used 'naughty words'...so I conducted a little experiment. No 'forbidden words' just a critique of some of Carl's 'Dadist' advice in light of stats regarding the family court system...yeet: Gone in less than 5 minutes. Disappointing to say the least.
@@platoplombo15 I truly hate how managed and designed the comment section has become on many channels
either the owners, some deranged admins, yt itself or god knows who else is pushing you down intp the abyss of the section, shadowbanning or outright deleting you
Unbelievable how much history have been lost from the Bronze Age. I'm glad archeology is helping us recover some of that knowledge.
I think it's amazing how much we know. Just by pure chance all those several tens of thousands of clay tablets with cuneiform writing have survived and been found. Without them we would know a small fraction of what we know.
I was wondering how you would approach the enigma of 'The Sea Peoples'.
You held it lightly, and didn't force assumptions upon a period that is , as yet , unknowable. Good work.
An informative addition to a period of history that retains it's shroud of secrecy.
I have watched all of Dan’s videos and finished reading Gods of Bronze book one last night. It is a great combination for learning about historical concepts and also being entertained. I could almost hear Dan’s voice while I was reading. I did have one surprise, though, which was how much the described way of life reminded me of the Native American Plains peoples. I have not read anything about them before the introduction of the horse, but that seems like it would be an interesting topic.
It comes with sharp relief to find this. For years I've been trying to write a Bronze Age novel and I had this kind of subconscious fixation to use mercenaries, but I could not be sure whether that was a historical thing or not. I did not exactly have access to information like this.
Makes me gladder than ever I found your channel.
Thank you. Good luck with your novel.
Finally! After literal years the TH-cam algorithm suggested something I actually WANTED to watch and was very entertaining! Subscribed I'm binging all your videos now!
Thank you very much, welcome to the channel. I hope you enjoy the videos
Yessssssss, Mr Davis, a lot of my current writing has been along the lines of Bronze Age mercenary work. This couldn’t have dropped at a better time! I’ve got something to watch over breakfast now!
No way? Awesome.
Dan Davis History video dropped, today is a good day!
Thank you.
This is an amazing choice for a video topic. I don't think the Bronze Age Collapse gets nearly enough detailed concrete attention, it's often portrayed as this vague abstract event about which little can be known, and this video of yours counterweights that impression with veracity. I don't want you to die without knowing how much this video makes the little-discussed corners of my mind feel seen and heard, because I privately speculate and research about the Bronze Age Collapse a great deal especially in regards to the role of secret societies.
I would love to see you do some videos delving into concrete knowledge of secret societies in the neolithic era and bronze age.
The amount of research and knowledge on display in your videos is absolutely staggering. The way you show so many pictures of artefacts really hits home the complexity and sophistication of the ancient cultures that didn't leave us any textual evidence. I've yet to come across a channel that does these ancient societies justice better than yours. Thank you.
Amazing content as always Dan.
Cheers.
The Naue Type ii was an innovative game changer and the design was so good that it was crafted in iron hundreds of years later during the Iron Age, influencing future sword designs. Compare the Naue sword with the Egyptian Khopesh sword which could only be used to slash. The slashing/thrusting sword could be used in tighter, denser formations, concentrating combat power which is an essential military strategy as opposed to looser formations with soldiers swinging their swords and requiring lots of room. This was adopted by the later Romans with their shield and gladius formations.
Civilized armies prior to the collapse were based on chariot warfare. One hypothesis is that chariot runners (light infantry) armed with numerous javelins would volley fire (adopted by Romans and peltasts with their javelin volley fire) and kill the chariot horses and then proceed to kill off the crew. Alexander did this with his peltasts at the Battle of Gaugamela to annihilate the Persian chariots. These volleys would also kill or wound armored infantry which could be surrounded and then killed. The armored infantry would be exhausted by the hit and run tactics and eventually collapse where they would be finished off. During the Pelopponesian War a contingent of Spartan hoplites were defeated by peltasts who were similar to chariot runners. Lead slingshot rounds and javelins whittled away the Spartans along with hit-and-run tactics. The solution to light infantry peltasts was combined arms which Alexander knew as a Great General but forgotten by many subsequent generals. If the Spartans had their own peltasts and cavalry, they would have killed the enemy force with little problems. The Romans knew this and defeated the Macedonians for supremacy of Greece.
the phalanx had a solution to light infantry, and it was the tactic of ekdrome.
The spartans did have light infantry and cavalry.
Especially light infantry was plenty.
it did not help them.
Shields, especially very large shields, are very effective against all kinds of projectiles.
Usually the only way for projectile weapons to be effective they have to get to aim around the shield (either by getting a different angle from increased height or by getting around).
And I do not have the impression that, compared to the hellenistic combined arms concept, the Roman way of waging war was particularly more effective on a tactical level. They did seem to struggle a lot and relied heavily on local allied forces to achieve victory.
Their success seems to be due to their own alliance's stability and their diplomatic achievements.
All swords can be used in formation. Cutting makes less sense against metal armor, but has more stopping power.
Short swords are more nimble than long swords of the same weight. Also less prone to breaking. And harder to parry (becase short, there is simply less blade to deflect or bind,)
Shield combat becomes way more deadly (/shields protect less well) the closer you get because of an increase in possible attack angles.
Nimble weapons tend to be more advantageous the closer you get.
Same goes for weapons that are hard to parry.
Tight formations do not increase general "combat power" (quite the opposite) they increase the effectiveness of shields and helmets.
Hence (one of the reasons) why during the peloponesian war, when depictions of bronze armor suddenly become much rarer, formations tend to get tighter.
The background music fits really well with the videos I hope that you keep using it. Great video to of course :)
Thank you. Last few videos people complained the music was too quiet so I made it louder for this one. Hard to balance but glad you liked it.
Finally some good notification arrived. Amazing as always
Thanks very much.
Aww yeah! As a teenager I read the "Ramses" novels serie by the French author Christian Jacq: I wonder if you happen to come around some English translated versions of these books... One of the main characters was a Sardinian mercenary acting as a body guard of yound Ramses II, echoeing well to this video. These novels were so great! It also reminds me of the Egyptian novels saga from Wilbur Smith, one of my favorite adventure novelists.
That sounds very cool! Never heard of it but I will keep an eye out, thanks.
@@DanDavisHistory jacq is probably one of the best ancient egypt novelist but poorly known in English
Ramases, is made up of the word for the Sun, Ra and a name Mases, Moses who was an Eygptian prince was in face called Mases.
He was called Serramana. That name is drawn from an location in South Sardinia. 😉
@laresilience5829 He is also an esteemed archaeologist, especially of Egyptian civilization-
I always use these as inspiration for comics or stuff i draw. History always fascinated me, its part of my studies too.
Amazing analysis and video presentation! The details are always apt, and seem to distill the information of all the relevant scholars -- David Anthony, Asko Parpola, N.K. Sandars, Robert Drews, etc. And the narration is elegant and smooth. One can see that though the video footage is mostly stock, it has been curated with great care and with quality editing. Thanks Dan Davis!
Hi Dan don't believe I got an alert fantastic can't wait to listen to this , just finished God born , Dan what a fantastic book I'm hooked going to read everything loved it , it's the part of history I love the different tribes ,people, places and beliefs just Brilliant great work , now on to the vid looking forward to this. Peace 🇮🇪
Awesome, thanks Sean. So glad you liked it mate. Cheers.
This is becoming the best popular history channel ever. Thank you thank you!
All this stuff you do is freakin BRILLIANT ! Don't know how I missed this one for so long. NICE to have some great entertainment again ~ Aloha
I took Ancient Roman history my first year of undergrad studies. The prof managed to make it the most painfully dull class included in my degree. Sad but true.
Hey Dan, thanks for the well done videos. I had an interesting thought. Just an idea I had while watching some of your videos really, but...
Potentially, Koryos bands were a bronze age "Merchant Marine" where, instead of being roaming thieves & bandits they became mercenaries. The untrained young men of a region's clans all gathered into larger companies to hire themselves out for merc work under the guidance & tutelage of an adult "captain", or "ceo" if you like, that would walk them through the rituals & train them in the skills needed to protect hearth, and home, as adults, in exchange for service in his company. Like an apprenticeship. That would solve what to do about rowdy adolescents and give their home communities a source of outside income and allow them to focus on family life without the angst of male puberty. Obviously some would fall on hard times, or suffer losses, and turn to banditry & raiding, etc but the majority would go out, do their "tours," and return home to take up community life.
Additionally, based on the theory of the seasonal raids & conflicts, in this video, I'm reminded of the patterns of later Viking raids on the English & European side of the world & I'm wondering if the Sea peoples were potentially Koryos bands of "Proto-Vikings" who instead of doing their tours and going home, went on to become part of larger companies, armies seeking far away employment. Second sons, or the unlanded & itinerant, seeking to make their fortunes with service, or slaving, before going on to purchase land and start their own families/clans.
Cheers & thanks again for the interesting topics.
Such an interesting video, thank you for the wonderful work you do, my friend
I would be very pleased if you could make a video about bronze age/early iron age ships! Most people probably just have triremes and other, later classical greek ship types in mind. Eventhough minoan and mycenean boats were absolutely beautiful!
Yes I will be doing that very soon I hope.
@@DanDavisHistory Thank you very much!
Excellent information, delivery, and relevant and synchronized visuals of captivating interest.
Absolutely love your descriptions. You remind me of a few of my history teachers who had a real passion for it. Its amazing. Ive long held the theory that humans in general have always been a sort of warrior people. We see examples of multi ethnic vagrant mercenary groups all through history and all over the world, and to a much larger scale in the modern world (if you really think about it) so i find it fascinating to learn more about ancient mercenary groups.
Really enjoyed that Mr. Davis. I have a better understanding of how the history of that region truly dates from antiquity, and continues into the present. Fascinating to grasp that these ancient, now modern, cultures have been interacting for millennia.
Thanks again for such a quality product.
Check out a film: "The Legend of Tomiris" . It's a Kazakh film with subtitles. It takes place during the Bronze Age and the weaponry and horseman/womanship are quite well done IMO. I'm sure you know who Tomiris is, and I believe you will enjoy the movie. A review would be cool. No pressure.
Thank you Mr McBoom. I do know Tomiris, I talked about her a bit in the horse warriors video but I did NOT know there was a film about her, I will check it out. Cheers!
Tomyris is from the Iron Age and she was very likely mythological rather than being a real character.
@@timurthelamest5630 I stand corrected. Iron Age. According to Herodotus, and other sources, she was real. Thanks for the correction.
@@BoomerMcBoom According to Herodutos which Herodutos himself admits that he heard this story from someone else. Other writers would then base their accounts of Tomyris off of Herodutos'.
@@timurthelamest5630 Is Herodotos the first historical reference to Tomiris? Most, if not all, historians hear their stories "from someone else". Not many first hand, and unbiased, historical accounts.
History is always being updated and corrected. The Trojan Wars were also a myth, until they weren't.
Thank you for making such wonderful videos!
Thanks for watching them!
You have shed so much light on a period I love daydreaming about, so much food for thought, love it, brilliant content! props to you!
Thank you very much.
That’s interesting about burying swords in bogs. It doesn’t seem a far leap before you get the lady of the lake handing heroes famous swords.
This makes sense, the ancient Greeks considered themselves descendants of the Dorian invaders, the same people who migrated into Greece and brought down the Mycenaean civilization giving rise to the Polis City-State.
Your voice and command of content is SUBLIME! THANK YOU!
Mr. Davis, you never fail to produce the best content on this website. What a gift it is to be a subscriber
Once again you've proposed well educated speculations about Bronze Age Europe that I have not heard of from established academics. You'd be a great archaeologist or historian! You have the gift.
Thank you! I don't think I would be a great archaeologist or historian as I don't have the patience or the intelligence. This video and all my videos are based on the work of real academics. I think my talent is in taking their work and telling it in an interesting way.
@@DanDavisHistory that's exactly what I used to think about my chances of becoming an academic. During my 20s through mid 40s, I thought I just didn't have either the patience or smarts to be an intellectual. And then aged 43 I took my MA in ESL and during that time I got acquainted in Linguistics. I successfully completed my MA and got accepted by a UK brick and mortar university to do a PhD in Applied Linguistics. I am now in my 2nd year and realise that what they require is for you to read up on all the "real academics' in the field and present my own imaginative take on one particular angle, using the work of these academics. No more and no less. As my PhD advisor said "It's not like writing a novel." They just want you to show that you know what's been written about it." At any rate, either way, your videos are very well informed, well presented and above all, you give valid and measured speculations that are very original and reasonable. Cheers!
Great video Dan. I find it fascinating how far people travelled around the world even back then.
Great video, thank you! A minor suggestion though. I'm by no means an expert on audio, but in contrary to any other documentaries, series or music I consume, your video seems to come with very powerfull low tones that literally shake up my house when coming through my subwoofer. Never happens, so made me think it's something on your side. The narration and sound of your voice is a pleasure regardless though!
Thank you. I don't change the music or sound effects so that's strange, I'll look into it.
Another great video. I am really interested in the Bronze Age Collapse so found this particularly interesting.
Thank you. Yes it's a fascinating era. Archaeology isn't so good when things happen so quickly and are so complicated.
This was very good. Well done.
Not sure where I heard this but one theory of the BAC (Bronze Age Collapse) is the infantry who supported the elite chariot units of the Med Kingdoms revolted. If some of that infantry were foreign elite mercenaries these two suppositions can be self supporting.
Great stuff Dan, really interesting. Thanks for posting!
One of the best content creators here.
👏👏👏👏
Another amazing vid from the amazing mr.Davis...what a treat:D
Amazing channel! Thank you so much
The Varangian Guard always intrigued me, obviously 😏
💪🏽🐻
As an advanced amateur cook, I can tell you that even raw pig skin can re almost impossible to cut or slice. I think I cold feel quite safe in a "boiled leather" lightweight armored vest. Cheaper and lighter than Bronze.
That was avery good narration for an easier learning experience for those with not a lot of time to read. Africa and Europe is really the history that a majority of people of the United States, unless Native blood line is involved, myself included on both sides of that coin. I'm hyped for all 20 videos, I've always loved the history classes in school and these are definitely a better tool of understanding where the other half of my ancestory derives from! People should learn this history to help avoid any more of an undesired tyrannic leadership of angry men that have greedy menstrual cycles if you will. We are all related down the line. Story's of the lands you are referring to. Thank you for the information and I can't wait to subscribe to more of the priceless history lesson with your teachings. Thank you, thank you!!! One love,Bless up.
Yes dan another great watch mate!!
Dan... Love 💘 your Depths of historic vision & perspectives. Keep 'er Up... !!
I just found you today, TH-cam suggested you ! So Happy I subscribed, Thanks So Much Sir
Amazing work, just that to say. Keep it upp!!
Spread the word people. This man needs 100k this year. At least. Fascinating content.
Similar designs can also be copied of more expensive imports by local tradesmen,eg Delftware vs Chinese blue and white patterns in the 17th century.
Cracking video 👏👏
Thank you.
Thank you for another fascinating look at warriors of the Bronze Age. Your videos are incredibly well-researched and well-structured, not to mention entertaining without getting too carried away by conjecture. Always interesting to hear insights into the Bronze Age Collapse.
(Note: There's a couple of typos on the map graphic used at 17:25, where Mediterranean is written as "Meditteranean", and Mycenaean as "Myceanean" in the legend)
Thank you very much. Shame about that map, I took it from Wikipedia.
Thank you for your work.
Finally! A new video!
I wonder if the victors at Tollense Valley could have been a horde of mercenaries returning from the Mediterranean.
Could be yeah or could be part of the general milieu across Europe.
Hi, I made a video about the Tollense DNA. We can rule out a meditereaen origin because genetically the Tollense warriors weren't Southern European. They were quite 'northern' genetically and match best populations who lived in Bronze age Hungary & late Neolithic Poland. We don't can't know exactly where they came from. They were apart of a mysterious genos who we don't understand yet. We just know they came from somewhere in mainland Europe north of the Mediterranean. Also, we know they were related to modern central-East Europeans in someway.
@@genoshistoria3487 Didn't some samples from Tollense match genetically with Scandinavians?
@@octodaddy4494 No. There were three mercenaries, one from France and one from Spain and one from somewhere near Lithuania. Then the rest were apart of that mysterious genos I mentioned in the previous post who we don't understand yet.
Thank you for this.
Thanks for watching.
Great video!
Thanks for watching Bro!
Badass documentary. Well spoken.
"Cultural encounter" is my new favorite euphemism
Great presentation!
I see a new Dan Davis video. I click.
Thank you, my friend.
Love your videos. Keep it up
Thank you for the wonderful video. This theory seems the most likely to me. Multi ethic large groups of mercenaries kitted out by regional smiths where they served, band together to attack Africa. The similar but slightly different athestic of the armor and weapons of different companies helps Egyptian historians differentiate the groups, making them seem a specific "people." We don't know, but it seems logical.
Very interesting video. I've been fascinated by the Bronze Age collapse for years, ever since I began reading the work of Eric Cline. It does make sense that the Sea Peoples were a multi-ethnic and multi-tribal groups, gathered to fight for a short term before their confederacies dispersed into oblivion at the end of the Bronze Age. If that were the case then they remind me of groups such as the Alemanni during the Late Roman Period.
Thank you. I think there were many groups. Some may have been one ethnic group from a specific area like the Lukka. Some more ephemeral.
When I first heard about the Bronze Age collapse I was really fascinated by the whole Sea People-thing. I've read some article and it sounded like some fantasy lore: an unknown power came on boats and just burned one city after the other. And then this mysterious name, "sea people". It really reminded my of alien invasion movies.
@@Kuhmuhnistische_Partei Exactly... If you imagine... you are living like 2000 years in Bronze age, with clay tablets, small city states constantly battling each other and then many groups of mercenaries just show up and destroy everything in all areas of main "cradle of life". Who was thinking outside the box this much in those times? It was not raiding, they just destroyed everything in their path.
I have a question, maybe you or someone else knows something about it. How affordable were bronze weapons and armor for 'common' fighters during the bronze age? I've read that actual bronze swords and armor were items only the warrior elites and pharaoes ect. had and common fighters often still used weapons made from stone and wood. Axes for example were common tools and were often still made from stone and then probably also used in battle. And arrowheads were often made from flint. There are also examples of wooden clubs and mallets found on Bronze age battlefields. And that's the actual reason why people switched to iron when their smelting technology allowed it. The iron they used was of poor quality and early smelting was not that great, so early iron items were actually less durable than bronze items. But tin for bronze was hard to get while iron was quite easy to find. So they switched to iron and that allowed them to equip more people with weapons made from metal.
I found the website I've read. It is a e-learning website and seems to belong the Pennsylvania State University. They have a course called "Materials in todays world". The article is called "Why Did it Take So Long Between the Bronze Age and the Iron Age?" and the relevant text is:
"Most of the iron used in weapons during the Iron Age, i.e., Roman swords, was a low-density iron sponge-like material. This sponge-like iron was then pounded to shape, densify, and remove impurities. Bronze was superior to the iron produced commonly, so why did iron ultimately replace bronze?
Bronze weapons were indeed of higher quality than the common iron weapons typically produced. However, tin, which is required for the production of bronze, is not abundantly available. As a consequence, bronze weapons were the weapons utilized by nobles, royalty, pharaohs, etc. The common foot soldier was not going to possess bronze weapons; there were not enough to go around.
Unlike tin, iron ore is readily available. So, although inferior to bronze, an army of hundreds or thousands could be equipped with iron weapons, which was not practical with bronze weapons. So, the ability to produce large numbers of iron weapons overcame the advantages of bronze. Eventually, time and further development allowed for the production of these so-called legendary swords which supplanted bronze as the weapon material of choice for the nobility."
But it's hard to find infos about this from other sources.
Once again you succeed in telling history in a fascinating way. As always: thank you very much!
Greets from the Netherlands 🌷, T.
Your thumbnails are amazing
Thanks bro.
Thank you. Your way of telling history is great, almost holistic, as to say. I love to listen to you while you cover scientific findings with great narrative skills. This video makes me think how Blackwater and Wagner take over one day. Collapse.
Thank you, very kind of you.
I just sub to this channel and the background music is fire as well and how u explain history its way better than my teachers could ever explained it to me ,cuz they always gave me the vibe of not caring wat they were teaching
Bronze age is so underated I'm glad to find this channel.
Lots of unacknowledged conjecture here, Dan.
Again a great video.
Great story, again, Dan. Thank you.
Cheers bro!
I love your videos keep up the good work!
Thank you, I will do my best.
My like and comment, another amazing video on my great, beautiful and perfect ancestors
Really good video, many thanks.
Thanks Dan. Great videos. Big fan and ancient history nerd here.
Thanks very much.
I feel like some overlap with the Koryos, bands of young warriors leaving their homelands to seek fame and fortune in far off lands. One could argue that these early mercenaries were just an evolution upon the older Koryos tradition.
Looking forward to this.
Really thought provoking video, which poses a very poignant hypothesis; The Sea Peoples were not ethnic groups but bands of mercenaries, which if correct throws a lot of the established theories of origins on their heads. I have a hypothesis (based only on the name) that the Peleset were from the "Mycenaean" Kingdom of Pylos. After all Agamemnon and Menelaus held Old King Nestor in high regard, which would tend to suggest that he was King of a very powerful polity within Bronze Age Greece. If your hypothesis is correct, that negates my hypothesis. Very interesting.
Thank you. I must say it's not my hypothesis, I'm just relating the work of researchers like Barry Molloy.
Also I'm also sure some of the named sea people groups were ethnic groups from one location. The Lukka were probably Lycians for example. The Sherden may have been Sardinians / Nuragic civilisation. Etc.
And the Peleset very likely originated in Greece. Although which group they represent is unclear Pylos or Pelasgians etc.
But considering the distribution of artefacts etc I think these primarily Mycenaean groups would have included foreign warriors from Balkans and Italy, possibly also from Pannonia and southern Germany area and maybe even Jutland and further afield.
There does seem to be a distinct warrior culture distributed across this region that spreads across the Eastern Mediterranean during the "collapse" period.
Warrior/hunters/herders cultures prayed on farmers, as these were an easy target and it became a custom sanctioned by clan cults
When farming conditions worsened, farming output worsened, farming communities
lost scale and ability to defend with it, forced to concentrate to lower attack
surface. Famines, droughts, stress of war brought diseases decimating them farther.
This naturally forced waring cultures to first decrease scale of trade getting less from
exchange or robbing. but it also decreased wild animals numbers as wild horses. so
even hunting got problematic.
suddenly farmers were forced to also use food sources that were taboo like fishing
suddenly all previous niche specialisations and chain of dependencies collapsed
leaving warring clans with only option to harras farmers even more and start
harrasing each other
it added internal strife also
because clans borders were sacred, place of mir of order and peace
the moment of internal competition had
religious aftermath
it ment Gods are angry and fight each other
and reaction to that was need to appease Gods by sacrificing let say prisoners of war
or when things get bad to keep internal
stability to start big crusade
what created a domino effect
also in these new conditions
suddenly the most obscure primitive
constant warfare in scarce resources conditions of old hunter gatherers became
a winning strategy changing completely
breeding and type of people being born
prompting these social structures
economic strategies and affecting
whole cultural narrative worldviews
it really was similar to another wave of steppe dwellers climate caused expansion
and because of established trade routes and information flow these trade routes became
exactly the direction of expansion flow
what interest me is if the trade was interrupted or kept going
obviously "Greece" was well established in exchange with eastern Mediterranean powers
some being royally intermarried despite etnic divisions
it could explain how much was it spontaneous how much preplanned and
premeditated
This was the Celtic/Gael expansion from Europe into Asia Minor and the Middle East. We know that the Gaels were in what is now Turkey and Israel. What is called the Bronze Collapse was in fact a invasion into the near east by the European Celtic tribes.
great videos about bronze age and history in general love it
Another great video👍 the late bronze age is very interesting. European mercenary in the bronze age empires of the Eastern Mediterranean would be a good basis for a book 👍
Great as always!
Another great video
One question…what do you think it is hanging off the spears in the image of all soldiers in a line?
Thank you. It's thought to be a bag with their belongings or supplies. Food like bread, cheese, dried meat. It may be an indication that these kinds of warriors were often travelling from place to place - like convoy guards and mercenaries.
@@DanDavisHistory hmm , never thought of that, sort of like hobos carrying their gear in a bag on a stick
SPECTACULAR RESEARCH!!!🙌🙌🙌
First time viewer... first line, "Mercenaries are professional soldiers" with the music and images. Sold.
I really like to imagine that some of these hired guards decided to work as a group.
You meet the same warriors on each new job. You become friends. You learn to read each other and work as a team. You can advertise your organisation and discipline to the caravans. And they only need to hire you as a group, not individual warriors.
And at some point, some of these mercenaries have learned the routes, know safe places to rest, places to trade, places to avoid. So they become caravaners themselves.
One could write a whole historical fiction novel about a danish warrior going through that journey, forming a gang with fellow mercenaries, and finally becoming traders with his buddies.
They see exotic places, meet new people, fight new enemies that are different and hone their skills, they might buy jewellery in Greece or Egypt for the wife back home, get a taste for beer instead of mead. They might even make friends with mercenaries from down south, creating a crew of people from all over the place that is known for their discipline, bravery, and loyalty.
very good info that we need
I hope your doing very very well monetarily. Your work deserves it. I'll be donating, in the purchase of your books. You get to the Four Corners ring me up. Interesting area, tour guide at you service sir.
Thank you very much Michael
Great video. Wouldn't the warriors of the Iliad have been contemporaries or successors of these bronze age mercenaries. Warriors as well equipped as you describe are far from the "chariot runners" of Robert Drews "The End of the Bronze Age". They sound like an early form of heavy infantry, or an improved version of the Sumerians depicted on the Stele of the Vultures. Unless they were a forgotten attempt at strike cavalry that disappeared only to be reinvented a few centuries later.
I highly recommend you lookup the "Luwian Hypothesis." It explains the Bronze Age collapse perfectly. The Luwian/Lukkans/Lydians were not destroyed by the Trojan war. The Iliad describes the end of conflict without Troy being destroyed. The Greeks go home to deal with internal conflict (caused by drought). Two generations later, as the drought persists, the metal trade is affected. The Hittites seize Cyrus to get control of copper, and this triggers war with both the Greeks and Luwians. The fragment at Ugarit says they cannot defend themselves because their men are in the land of Lukka. Egypt was bound to Hattusa by the treaty of Ramases II, so that brought Greeks and Luwians into direct conflict with Egypt. The Sea People were Luwians and Greeks. Shekelesh = Cyclades. Tejeker = Trojan. Peleset = Pelagians. Ekwesh = Athens (?)
I agree with this hypothesis for the most part and think the Luwians have been the missing piece all along. Especially Luwian speaking groups and Greeks being brought into conflict with Egypt. But I also think it's more complicated and perhaps more international than even we think.
There's some potential evidence that Shekelesh is in reference to ancient Sicilians rather than Cyclades. There's strong evidence that the Nuragic culture of Sardinia is what the Sherden/Shardanu referred too. There's also the italic Terramare culture that Dan covered in another video that migration/colonized/invaded parts of Greece. They too could have been part of the sea people's coalition, though which tribe is unclear. They could have also just gone as unnamed, but involved mercenaries.
The Peleset are nowadays generally believed to the Philistines, based on the archaeology and the very helpful Egyptian stelles that depicted the different sea people tribes (this art also helps coincide with the Sherden identification). Ekwesh is possibly likely Achaeans, though so too were the Danans/Dananu, and the difference between Ahhiya/Ekwesh/Achaeans and Achaean Danans, and why they were listed separate (was it because they were? or is a Egyptian misunderstanding of foreign identities?) is still debated and not well understood.
A Pelasgian reading for Peleset is interesting since the Pelasgians supposedly were the pre-Greek natives, based in Arcadia, according to Archaic Age Homeric writings. But for now I'm with the Philistine reading. Which still works because recent archaeological findings have pinpointed the Philistine origins to southwest Anatolia -- so a Luwian origin.
Also I think the Tjekker are unlikely to be the Trojans as the contemporary name was Wilusa (modern Ilion). The name Troy came about from a different linguistic journey. From what I've read: Tjekker, as an Egyptian exonym, may be related to the Shekelesh (if that references Sicily) in some way because the characters for it could also be read as skl or Sical. Another hypothesis has been the Tjekker refer to the Teucri tribe, which lived south of Troy, but apparently that's been generally dismissed as pure speculation and needs more evidence. That would fit with a Luwian origin for them though.
The only for sure agreed upon thing is the Tjekker seeminngly conquered Dor in Canaan, based on the Story of Wenamun. And that their leader was named/titled Beder, who was a deputy to the king of Tyre, which was Phoenician. They likely came into conflict with the Philistines after the latter settled in Canaan.
Comparative linguistic analysis, newfound archaeogenetic studies, and archaeology between art depictions and items found in the dirt have been extremely helpful narrowing the gap, but a lot of things are unclear and still need to be studied until we know for sure.
@@Joyride37 Thank you for the considered comment. I agree about the Peleset. Yes, they settled in Palestine and became the Philistines. But their pottery, grave goods and weapons indicate they were Greek. The Sekelesh I agree gave their name to Sicily but to or from? It appears there were "original" inhabitants and later settles, that we call today Sicels 1 and Sicels 2. I think the Sicels-2 were Greek colonists from Cyclades. So that suggests the Sekelesh gave their name TO Sicily.
The Sherden are mysterious. I agree with the connection to Sardinia, but again, TO or FROM? The Sherden made an early attack on Egypt and then became hired as mercenaries during the reign of Ramases II. Sardinia was a very important place in the Bronze Age, as I am sure you know. They wore horned helmets, seen in Egyptian paintings. But there was also a Luwian city called Sedha. If I ever become an amateur archeologist in my retirement, I would like to dig in Sardinia.
@@Joyride37 good thinking,but there's something that everyone is missing in this story.
There are many reasons for me to believe that the Homer's Troy wasn't located in Anatolia, but rather north of Greece in the Adriatic sea.
For example, Anatolia was under Hitite rule at the time of Trojan war and the Greeks already established some colonies there,trade was well developed,etc.
On the other hand, Trojan war was basically an expedition to unknown, mysterious and dangerous land.
There are dozens of ancient megalithic ruins scattered along Eastern Adriatic coast and islands that nobody knows nothing about.
Same cyclopean walls like in Mycenae, but since this is Balkan,these things are simply swept under the rag.
You can also find in this area unique stone monuments called stecak, I think over 70 000 of them only in Bosnia. Some of them depicting scenes from Iliad, tournaments, funerary games, dancers,scenes from Trojan mythology,etc.
Dardanians Thracian Bryghians, Paeonians, those are all Balkan folks.
Odysseus took ten years to get back home from his backyard?
Homer's descriptions of climate,animals, vegetation, geography doesn't fit Anatolia also.
Hisarlik could only be Trojan colony in Hitite land.
I think you're right about Shardani-Sardinia and Shekeles-Sicily, but for Philistines,recent findings shows that they originated somewhere in South Europe.
@@BalkanCrusader of course you could find in Bosnia monuments of Greek culture , this should n surprise you , after all the Adriatic coast was heavily colonized by Greeks . But to say that Philistines originated from some unknown place in Southern Europe is an insult to any educated person .
All of the Academics place Greece- Crete as the origin of the Philistines( including the Bible ) KAFTHOR-KAFTHORIM = Crete-Cretans .
Than again,,,,,, Homers descriptions don't fit Asia Minor ?
I don't know what kind of books you read friend but i strongly recommend you to start reading proper books
@@ideos5 no Greek colonies in the Adriatic prior to the 4-5th century BC.
Google new findings about Philistines DNA,TH-cam won't let me put link here.
Homer is only historian I believe, cause he's not historian but poet.
And for ancient Greeks, there was no doubt that the Trojan war happened.
You think you're smarter than Plato or Aristotle?
My curious mind always finds history , finding I go back to Anglo Saxons thrilled me but the early histories are also intriguing , like how was the forming of Bronze discovered especially as its an alloy of copper & tin ? Having been to Great Orme , North Wales where a discovery in a rubbish tip in the hill turned out to be a big BA copper mine which caverns & tunnels , is now a visitors attraction worth a visit .
4:30 A Stone Age Salt Bae kicked the whole thing off. The next tribe over saw his bacon and decided to bring it home at all costs.