Archaeologists have identified a series of site destructions and declines across the Eastern Mediterranean and Near East between approximately 1220 BC and 1170 BC, a period now referred to as the Late Bronze Age Collapse. The event marks the most severe disruption of the interconnected state systems that dominated the region during the Late Bronze Age.

During the Late Bronze Age, political entities such as the Hittite Empire in Anatolia, the New Kingdom of Egypt, the Middle Assyrian Empire, and the Kassite Babylonian state maintained extensive diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties. Bronze production relied on long‑distance trade for tin and copper, linking these economies.

Archaeological evidence shows that the collapses began with palace destructions in the Aegean around 1220 BC, spread to Anatolia and the Levant, and included major sites such as Hattusas, Troy, and Ugarit. In Greece, most Mycenaean palace centers were abandoned or destroyed, and the Linear B script disappeared, replaced in the 8th century BC by the Phoenician-derived alphabet. Athens remained continuously inhabited, while cities such as Byblos, Sidon and Tyre persisted without complete destruction.

Scholars have proposed multiple factors. Evidence of a dry climate in the late 12th century BC suggests reduced agricultural output in rain‑fed regions, potentially straining state revenues. Intensified warfare and fortification efforts in the Aegean and Near East may have depleted resources. Inscriptions from Egypt record attacks by multi‑ethnic groups identified as the Sea Peoples, indicating maritime movements or raiding activities. Trade disruptions likely limited the supply of bronze and other goods.

The collapse was uneven. Egypt and Mesopotamia did not experience total state failure but entered prolonged periods of decline. Anatolia saw reduced urbanization after the fall of the Hittite capital, while the Levant experienced fragmentation that facilitated the rise of Phoenician city‑states and the emergence of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. The long‑term impact included a shift toward smaller political units and the eventual rise of new powers such as the Neo‑Assyrian Empire.

The precise causes of the Late Bronze Age Collapse remain uncertain, with most researchers supporting a combination of climatic, economic, and military factors.