Empire: World History 336. Bronze Age Apocalypse: How To Survive The End of The World (Ep 5)
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Feb 24, 2026 
Eric Cline, archaeologist and author known for 1177 B.C., joins to explore the Late Bronze Age collapse. He traces who the Hittites were and how trade and tin supply shaped their fate. He maps the west-to-east spread of collapse, the rise of iron in Cyprus, and which ancient societies adapted best to crisis.
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Globalization Made Late Bronze States Vulnerable
- Late Bronze Age interconnectedness powered prosperity but created systemic fragility.
- Eric Cline compares the era's 'G8' of kingdoms to modern globalization and says mutual dependence turned local failures into cascading collapse.
Treat Interdependence As A Risk
- Be aware that the very features that build complex societies can also topple them.
- Cline warns modern societies should heed Bronze Age lessons about supply chains and interdependence to avoid cascading failure.
Who The Hittites Really Were
- The Hittites were a major Late Bronze Age power ruling much of Anatolia with strong military and bureaucracy.
- Excavations at Hattusas and deciphered cuneiform revealed they used Indo-European Hittite (Neshian) and participated in wide diplomatic networks.