MessageToEagle.com – Archaeologists have long argued that the so-called Sea Peoples from the northern Mediterranean were responsible for the collapse of empires in the Levant at the end of the Bronze Age.
An inscription at the Mortuary Temple of Ramses III – Medinet Habu, dated back to 1180 BC has been presented as evidence of maritime invasion of these Sea Peoples who became responsible for the decline of Egyptian neighboring kingdoms.
This theory supported by previous archaeological research, makes the Mediterranean Sea Peoples also responsible for the economic collapse in the Levant.
However, recent and the award winning work: “Sea Peoples, Philistines, and the Destruction of Cities: A Critical Examination of Destruction Layers ‘Caused’ by the ‘Sea Peoples,” by Jesse Millek, PhD student of the University of Tübingen – questions the above-mentioned theory.
Millek’s most recent findings indicate that the causes for the sharp decline of trade are much more complex than previously thought and are more likely due to an internal social transformation process and to a changed use of resources, according to source.
The researcher documented archaeological evidence from 16 localities in the region along with the site of Lachish, 44 kilometers southwest of Jerusalem, one of the largest and most important sites in the Levant.
The burnt remains of a temple and a building discovered in earlier excavations were interpreted as evidence of a military conflict with the Sea Peoples.
The critical reconsideration of the excavation documentation shows that the initial interpretation of some factors has been overlooked.
“The Bronze Age building fire at Lachish began demonstrably in the kitchen – even in the Bronze Age, there were everyday causes of destruction,” says Jesse Millek.
See also:
Mysterious Sea People: Many Theories But Their Origin Is still Unknown
Kunulua Wasn’t Invaded By The Philistine ‘Sea Peoples’ – Ancient Riddle Is Finally Solved
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“The temple has no vandalism and was completely cleared from destruction Everything points on a cultic decommissioning of the site towards. The sacred objects were sorted and systematically removed.
The location of the temple was still taboo as a holy site, in later times.
“The ordered closure of sanctuaries indicates a change in dealing with spiritual resources and a reorganization of cultural values in society. In further research should now be clear to what extent the decline of trade with this change in values is related.”
Disproving the “Sea Peoples” theory is very important, according to the head of project A06, Professor Jens Kamlah.
“The goal of our research is the old, simplistic model to extract the evidence. For this purpose does the work of Jesse millek an important contribution. The period we are examining is crucial for the development of Old Testament Israel, as we know it from the Bible. The demonstration of different reasons and complex business issues for trade decline can afford new insights into this important epoch,” he said.
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