Civilizations rarely collapse because of a single event. More often, they become fragile long before they realize it. Around 1200 BCE, some of the most sophisticated societies of the ancient Mediterranean began to unravel. Palaces were abandoned. Trade networks broke down. Cities burned. Political structures disappeared. In parts of the region, writing itself was lost for generations. Historians still debate what caused the Late Bronze Age Collapse. Climate stress, migration, warfare and trade d
