1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed

In 1177 B.C., marauding groups known only as the Sea Peoples invaded Egypt. The pharaohs 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...