The Sea Peoples: The Mysterious Nomads Who Ushered in the Iron Age

by Charles River Editors

*Includes pictures*Includes ancient accounts of the Sea Peoples*Discusses theories about the Sea Peoples' origins*Includes a bibliography for further reading*Includes a table of contents“The [Egyptian] charioteers were warriors…and all good officers, ready of hand. Their horses were quivering in their every limb, ready to crush the [foreign] countries under their feet...Those who reached my boundary, their seed is not; their heart and soul are finished forever and ever." – An inscription made during the reign of Ramesses IIIWhen scholars look at the passage of history, certain epochs and transitions to new periods tend to stand out. The transition from the early modern to the Industrial Age in the late 18th century and the collapse of the Roman Empire are two of the more well known, but the transition from the Bronze to the Iron Age during the late 13th and early 12th centuries BCE arguably changed the structure and course of world history more fundamentally than any period before or since. During this period, numerous wealthy and enduring kingdoms of the eastern Mediterranean Sea region collapsed, and new ones rose in their places. At the center of this period of turmoil was a group of people known today as the Sea Peoples, the English translation of the name given to them by the Egyptians. Despite their prominent role in history, however, the Sea Peoples remain as mysterious as they were influential; while the Egyptians documented their presence and the wars against them, it has never been clear exactly where the Sea Peoples originated from, or what compelled them to invade various parts of the region with massive numbers. Whatever the reason, the Sea Peoples posed an existential threat to the people already living in the region, as noted by an Egyptian “The foreign countries (i.e. Sea Peoples) made a conspiracy in their islands. All at once the lands were removed and scattered in the fray. No land could stand before their from Hatti, Qode, Carchemish, Arzawa and Alashiya on, being cut off (i.e. destroyed) at one time. A camp was set up in Amurru. They desolated its people, and its land was like that which has never come into being. They were coming forward toward Egypt, while the flame was prepared before them. Their confederation was the Peleset, Tjeker, Shekelesh, Denyen and Weshesh, lands united. They laid their hands upon the land as far as the circuit of the earth, their hearts confident and 'Our plans will succeed!'"As with any historical matter from the ancient world, the sources can be a problem. The ancient Egyptians recorded their interactions with the Sea Peoples in both written texts and in pictorial reliefs and thus provide the most complete contemporary description of them, but the nature of ancient Egyptian historiography was quite different than the modern concept, so the sources cannot be considered entirely reliable. Later Greek sources, both historiographical and mythological, can help fill in some more details, but those sources are suspect because they were written several centuries after the emergence of the Sea Peoples. Modern archaeology is beneficial in determining how people lived and possibly where they moved, but there are also problems when one relies too much on archaeological data because the dating of material culture is not an exact science. Finally, linguistic evidence is often employed to determine the geographic origins and eventual landing points of many of the Sea Peoples, but confusion often arises if a group’s demonym refers specifically to their place of origin or final home.Naturally, the mystery surrounding the Sea Peoples has led to all kinds of theories aiming to identify them.

Genres: History, Ancient History, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Egypt

45 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 16, 2014

About the author

Charles River Editors is an independent publisher of thousands of ebooks on Kindle, Nook, Kobo, and Apple iBookstore & provider of original content for third parties.

Reviews

[Melinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but far too short!

[Christopher Trader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting.

[Douglas H. Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have begun to read about ancient cultures in Asia-Minor and the Levant

This book has been informative and well documented. It expanded the knowledge I gained from other Charles River Editors' texts such as The Hittites, Summerians, Kadesh, Assyrians and other titles I cannot recall. I wish they all contained more maps, especially maps showing not only the specific areas dealt with, but also more extensive maps showing their placement in a much larger context. More photos and drawings of artifacts such as tools, weapons and excavated grave items would be fascinating and would enhance the reader's concept of time, place and culture. Thank you for free or affordable, documented information.

[P. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think Sea Peoples might have been written by an algorithm.

Advised that 'you will learn about the Sea Peoples like never before, in no time at all.' even though 'there are a bunch of differing opinions as to what precipitated it.' it goes on to confidently explain, what happened in a contradictory and repetitious manner.

[Robert Lloyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but concise introduction

I found this book to be a good introduction to the sea peoples and how it gave a general idea of what is known of them. I think books like this are helpful in laying a good groundwork for further study.

[James G.. Lewis · Rating 2 out of 5]

No Detail, Barely Any Information

I cannot recommend this book to any one more than ten years of age. It reads like a series of photo captions. I kept waiting for it to begin. I got to the end waiting for it to begin and was shocked to find it had!

[Xavier · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent overview of this mysterious group of people. I assumed they were sea faring people but it seems much of the mystery stems from changes in language and multiple groups being referred to as "people from the sea"

[Ellen M. Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

I would have liked more information as to how or what then inspired the iron age.
It ended to abruptly.

[Teri Orthwein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredible

For a beginning introduction to the sea people of the iron age, an amazing time with the best of intentions, where did they go

[N.A.K. Baldron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great overview

I found the information enlightening and offered a great place to start and research further if I need to. I appreciate the citations.

[Sarah - All The Book Blog Names Are Taken · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good intro, but lacking substance.

[Jacki Basten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thumbs up

Well written and easy to read. Gave a good accountant about the sea people. I recommend this book if interested in knowing about these people.

[Matt Fone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seems overkill using 32 pages to say we know shit all about them. Cost per page, this is the most expensive book ive bought.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sea Peoples by Charles River Editors This book explores the changes in the Mediterranean during the late 13th and early 12th centuries BCE. This was an exciting time when well established city states and cultures fell, and the Iron Age arose. The mysterious Sea Peoples were at the center of many of these changes.
I have long been fascinated by the Sea Peoples and will probably go on being fascinated by them because they will always remain something of a mystery. This book does an excellent job of giving an over view of what is known and what is guessed (in an educated fashion) about the Sea Peoples. Indeed, they were a collection of tribes and peoples and they came in more than one wave. Sometimes, some of them hired out as mercenaries and occasionally they fought on both sides of the same battle. Their origins are still in dispute, however descendants of some of the tribes that eventually settled have been verified through linguistical and archaeological analysis.
The most fascinating thing I learned was that these invaders brought iron weapons and whole new way of fighting with them. These two things revolutionized the whole area over a short amount of time. For instance, some well established civilizations, like Egypt, were still battling with chariots. Chariots take a lot of care and maintenance, not just for the wheeled contraption but also for the horses. Plus they also need a flat plain on which to be effective. The Sea Peoples with their iron age weapons and advanced fighting techniques, put the charioteers to shame.
If you haven’t read extensively on the Sea Peoples or simply want a refresher, then this is an excellent source. It’s a great lunch time break, feeding the mind while you feed your body.
The Narration: Jack Chekijian did a great job with this book. He came off as scholarly without being dry or stuffy. Plus there are several difficult to pronounce tribal names and personal names in this book – Chekijian nailed them all. 

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book explores the changes in the Mediterranean during the late 13th and early 12th centuries BCE. This was an exciting time when well established city states and cultures fell, and the Iron Age arose. The mysterious Sea Peoples were at the center of many of these changes.

I have long been fascinated by the Sea Peoples and will probably go on being fascinated by them because they will always remain something of a mystery. This book does an excellent job of giving an over view of what is known and what is guessed (in an educated fashion) about the Sea Peoples. Indeed, they were a collection of tribes and peoples and they came in more than one wave. Sometimes, some of them hired out as mercenaries and occasionally they fought on both sides of the same battle. Their origins are still in dispute, however descendants of some of the tribes that eventually settled have been verified through linguistical and archaeological analysis.

The most fascinating thing I learned was that these invaders brought iron weapons and whole new way of fighting with them. These two things revolutionized the whole area over a short amount of time. For instance, some well established civilizations, like Egypt, were still battling with chariots. Chariots take a lot of care and maintenance, not just for the wheeled contraption but also for the horses. Plus they also need a flat plain on which to be effective. The Sea Peoples with their iron age weapons and advanced fighting techniques, put the charioteers to shame.

If you haven’t read extensively on the Sea Peoples or simply want a refresher, then this is an excellent source. It’s a great lunch time break, feeding the mind while you feed your body.

The Narration: Jack Chekijian did a great job with this book. He came off as scholarly without being dry or stuffy. Plus there are several difficult to pronounce tribal names and personal names in this book – Chekijian nailed them all.

[Teressa · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Amazing Lesser Known History"

I enjoyed listening to this audiobook. I thought it was neat learning about the Sea people. The name 'sea people' conjures up many images but when you look at this as a part of a larger whole or a piece to a historic puzzle, it begins to make more sense. It makes me think of 'clay people.'

They have several presumed origins and there wasn't much documentation regarding them but they existed. They derived from many areas around the Mediterranean Sea such as places that are now Italy, Greece, and maybe Syria. Their arrival played a role in ancient history by ending the Bronze Age and ushering in the Iron Age.

I would suppose that researching this topic was somewhat difficult which makes me like it all the more. I would be interested in more about this time period. This was great.

Kudos to Jack Chekijian for narrating this book. I thought he did a fantastic job pronouncing the names of the tribes and cities of this period. He spoke clearly and made this easier to understand. I would've hashed it up and he went through it like nobody's business. I love history, especially when it's understandable. Super job!

Audiobook received in exchange for an honest review.

[Amina (ⴰⵎⵉⵏⴰ) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A precious attempt to throw some light on the mediterranean history between the 12th and the 13th century BCE, who were these sea peoples, where did they come from, what was their role in the events that marked the mediterranean sea at this time? Some mystery has been revealed but some is still shady..

[Alicia Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and Sweet

This was a perfectly-paced book for my ride. I haven't read much on ancient history in a while, and this hit the spot. I can't wait to bore my dates with details on the factors which led to the end of the Bronze Age.

[Vikas Datta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite a credible effort in an attempt to address another historical mystery..