Climate change, social fractures, wars and famines are currently plaguing the world, worrying some that humans are forever modifying the planet, and not for the better. Dr. Cline points out in After 1177 that we have been here before. During the late Bronze Age of the 1200s BCE, the climate shifted, and areas known as the fertile crescent suddenly suffered massive droughts, causing a collapse in food supply and reducing the population by more than half over three hundred years.
A process that began in 1200 BCE culminated in the collapse of empires, with Egypt and Crete sinking into poverty and strife, while the Hittites simply melting away and never returning. Prosperous cities fell into disuse and eventually disappeared. Trade routes were abandoned, and commerce all but stopped over long distances. The civilizations in the Aegean and in the Eastern Mediterranean sputtered along for another three hundred years until decades of rain ushered in a renewed prosperity, with new empires such as the Assyrians. new kingdoms such as the Israelites, the Phoenicians, and the resurgence of old countries like Egypt and Greece.
Along with renewed commerce ties, the exploitation of iron and the constant food surplus led to a renewed interest in massive buildings. A simplified writing system spread throughout the Mediterranean, influencing ancient Greek and Latin. New cities were founded, and prosperity was restored.
After 1177 explores how some societies were able to transform themselves in the face of catastrophic climactic, geographic, and political events, while others failed to do so and were consigned to the dustbin of history. The resilience of these societies point to possible avenues for us to explore as we attempt to maintain our own societies in the face of drastic changes coming our way.
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