Sea Peoples facts for kids

The Sea Peoples were a group of seafaring people who attacked ancient Egypt and other parts of the eastern Mediterranean Sea. This happened before and during a time called the Bronze Age collapse, which was from about 1200 to 900 BC.

This famous scene is from the north wall of the Medinet Habu temple. It shows the Egyptian fight against the Sea Peoples in 'the Battle of the Delta'. The hieroglyphs (ancient Egyptian writing) do not name Egypt's enemies. They just say they were from "northern countries". But early experts noticed that the hairstyles and jewelry of these fighters were like those of groups named in other carvings.

During the Bronze Age collapse, archaeologists found that many cities along the coasts of the Levant (an area in the Middle East) and the Aegean Sea (near Greece) were destroyed. This destruction might have been caused by invaders from the sea. We don't know exactly where these attackers came from or what their cultures were like, so historians call them the Sea Peoples.

Some historical records suggest that the Sea Peoples used iron weapons. This was new because most cultures during the Bronze Age used bronze. The cities they attacked were mostly on the coast, which makes us think they probably traveled and fought mostly by sea.

Who Were the Sea Peoples?

The Sea Peoples were not one single group. They were likely a mix of different peoples who came together. They traveled by sea and caused a lot of trouble for the big empires of the time, like Egypt and the Hittites.

Why Did They Attack?

Historians are not completely sure why the Sea Peoples attacked. Some ideas include:

• They might have been looking for new lands because their own homes were facing problems like famine or war.
• They could have been raiders or pirates looking for treasure and resources.
• They might have been people displaced by other conflicts, forced to move and find new places to live.

Impact on Ancient Civilizations

The attacks by the Sea Peoples were a big part of the Bronze Age collapse. This was a time when many powerful civilizations in the Mediterranean region fell apart. Cities were burned, trade routes were disrupted, and many people moved. The Sea Peoples played a role in this widespread chaos and change.

Evidence of the Sea Peoples

Most of what we know about the Sea Peoples comes from ancient Egyptian writings and carvings. The Egyptians wrote about battles against these invaders. We also find archaeological evidence like destroyed cities and new types of pottery that appeared around the same time.

Images for kids

• 

  This scene from the north wall of Medinet Habu is often used to illustrate the Egyptian campaign against the Sea Peoples in what has come to be known as the Battle of the Delta. While accompanying hieroglyphs do not name Egypt's enemies, describing them simply as being from "northern countries", early scholars noted the similarities between the hairstyles and accessories worn by the combatants and other reliefs in which such groups are named.

• 

  A carved relief from the Kadesh inscriptions showing Shasu spies being beaten by Egyptians

• 

  The Abishemu obelisk, includes the words "Kwkwn ś: Rwqq" translated as "Kukun, son of Lukka"

• 

  Map of the Sea People invasions in the Aegean Sea and Eastern Mediterranean at the end of the Late Bronze Age.

• 

  Philistine Bichrome pottery, thought to be from the Sea Peoples.

• 

  Warrior wearing a boar's tusk helmet, from a Mycenaean chamber tomb in the Acropolis of Athens, 14th–13th century BC.

• 

  Bronze model of a nuraghe. 10th century BCE

• 

  Invasions, population movements and destruction during the collapse of the Bronze Age, around 1200 BCE. This map is from the Atlas of World History (2002).

See also

In Spanish: Pueblos del mar para niños