1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed

This book by Eric Cline came up once on Joe Rogan in the episodes we index. That mention was a genuine on-air recommendation, not just a passing reference. The people who brought it up: Flint Dibble. Every occurrence below links to the episode page and to the exact second it was said on YouTube.

In 1177 B.C., marauding groups known only as the "Sea Peoples" invaded Egypt. The pharaoh’s army and navy managed to defeat them, but the victory so weakened Egypt that it soon slid into decline, as did most of the surrounding civilizations. After centuries of brilliance, the civilized world of the Bronze Age came to an abrupt and cataclysmic end. Kingdoms fell like dominoes over the course of just a few decades. No more Minoans or Mycenaeans. No more Trojans, Hittites, or Babylonians.