Wasser 1

Kendal Wasser
Alec Thomson
History 134
October 10, 2016
The Sea Peoples
The Sea Peoples were a group of peoples who emerged in and invaded the Mediterranean
regions in approximately 1200 BC (Mark). The Sea Peoples have been a topic of mystery for
many years as archeologists have studied and proposed different theories regarding their origins
and background, some with validity and others without (Sea Peoples). It is believed that the
Sea Peoples were from a region known as Anatolia and may have been allies with the
Phoenicians, as the Phoenicians remained unharmed during the invasions of the Mediterranean
(Sea Peoples). Much of what is known about the Sea Peoples is derivative of ancient Egyptian
inscriptions (Mark). These inscriptions describe battles between the Egyptians and the Sea
People.
The first mention of the Sea Peoples was a documented battle between Egypt and the
Hittites (Mark). Ramesses II was the ruler of Egypt during this time. The Hittites are said to have
successfully fought to regain land that had been taken by the Egyptians. With this victory, the
Hittites couldve posed a threat to the Sea Peoples said allies, the Phoenicians, if they had
continued to advance further South to surrounding regions, however the Hittites did not proceed.
The fact that the Hittites did not invade the Phoenicians may be why the Sea Peoples were also
thought to be described as allies of the Hittites during this time, as outlined in the inscriptions.
This may have also been part of the reason why the next battle emerged between the Sea People
and the Egyptians, rather than the Hittites (Mark).

Wasser 2
This battle took place in the Nile Delta during the ruling of pharaoh Merenptah and is the
next citing of the Sea Peoples (Mark). One theory suggests that the battle was driven by food
shortages of the Sea People. Since the Hittites didnt have a surplus, Egypt was invaded first
(Sea Peoples). This may also be because the Hittites didnt invade the Phoenicians. The Sea
Peoples were said to have joined forces with the Libyans to attack Egypt. However, even with
the extra man power, the Egyptians were victorious (Sea Peoples).
Ultimately a battle broke out between the Hittites and Sea Peoples (Sea Peoples). The
Hittites stood in between the Phoenicians and surrounding lands. In order for the Sea Peoples to
gain this land, they would need to go through the Hittites. The Sea Peoples had also previously
been defeated multiple times by the Egyptians. Rather than battle them again, they decided to
attack the Hittites. It is said that the Attackers set fires to temples and palaces, and drove out
the ruling class until the Hittite civilization vanished into oblivion for three thousand years
(Macdonald). Thus marking the fall of the Hittite empire. The Sea People continued to advance
into surrounding territories until they again invaded Egypt.
This last battle took place during the rule of Ramesses III (Mark). This time the Sea
People were not so lucky. They were ultimately defeated and then essentially disappeared from
history. This marks another one of the mysteries surrounding the Sea People. They were defeated
and never heard of again.
Because of the many mysteries of the Sea Peoples, it makes them a topic of interest for
various reasons. There is still research being done to determine exactly who these people were
and where they originated. Archeologists will continue to study and prove or debunk the many
theories currently circulating around them, but until then they will remain a great mystery of the
ancient world.

Wasser 3
Works Cited
Dailymail.com, Cheyenne Macdonald For. "Mysterious Civilization of 'Sea Peoples' WereWiped
out by 'world War Zero' 3,000 Years Ago ." Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 12 May 2016.
Web. 10 Oct. 2016.
Mark, Joshua J. "Sea Peoples." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 02
Sept. 2009. Web. 10 Oct. 2016.
"Sea Peoples and the Phoenicians:." Phoencian. Phoencian, 28 June 2005. Web. 10 Oct. 2016.