Sea Peoples - current research?

[Tim]

On the Ancmed Yahoo group a question was raised relatively recently (I visit rarely since Yahoo's latest 'upgrade') asking about the current state of research on the origins of the Sea Peoples and why they migrated?  The answer was basically loads of speculation, not much else.  Anyone any more to add than that?

[Andreas Johansson]

If you're refering to Danny Weitz's query I dunno if I'd characterize the ensuing few posts as "loads of speculation". More like protestations of ignorance.

You might want to check out the thread on Manuel Robbins' The Collapse of the Bronze Age, and maybe get the book.

[Tim]

Andreas

Sorry my English was poor.  Yes I was referring to Danny's query.  The response was broadly that while lots of (other) people have speculated, no one really knows.  I did not mean to suggest that the posters were speculating, rather that they were referring to others have speculated.

[Andreas Johansson]

Ah, OK.

Robbins' book is by no means definitive, but it's the AFAIK most recent attempt at a synthesis of the Bronze Age Collapse issue. Thread here.

Also of possible interest is the thread about Drews' The End of the Bronze Age. The book isn't new (1993), but some of the discussion references newer scholarship. Drews does stress new weapons, but not iron ones.

[Robert Heiligers]

Hi Tim,

Sorry for the belated reaction. I don't visit this forum often enough.

You may want to read: Woudhuizen, Frederik: The Ethnicity of the Sea Peoples, dissertation for the Erasmus University of Rotterdam, 2006 (140 pages of text and 20 pages of references) and Wim M.J. van Binsbergen & Fred C. Woudhuizen, Ethnicity in Mediterranean protohistory, 2011 (420 pages + 120 pages of references). However, these works don't neccessarily answer the "why" questions, but mainly concentrate on the "where from" ones.

Woudhuizen (2006) states, for instance, that the homeland of the Sherden is likely to be located in Sardinia and that of the Shekelesh in Sicily. In his (well-documented) view, the Tjeker or Teukroi is an indication of the population of Troad, and the Ekwesh and Dey(e)n are alternative indications for the Late Bronze Age Greeks (the Homeric Akhaians and Danaoi) etc. etc.

Hope this helps,
Robert

[Robert Heiligers]

I forgot: the Ancient Warfare magazine (Vol IV, Issue 4) ran a special on the Sea Peoples (in 2010, I believe): Darkness descends: End of the Bronze Age Empires.

Interesting issue, great illustrations, but also rather speculative. The Further Reading Lists may be helpful, though. Woudhuizen and Van Bisbergen are not listed yet.

Take care,
Robert

[Tim]

Robert

Thank you.  Good next steps.