An interactive DBQ by Sam Hicks-Savage explores the question "What do Historians do when the Written Record is Missing?" A chapter excerpt from Exploring History Vol IV. http://bit.ly/2iyHMaX

1. My father, now the ships of the enemy have come. They have
been setting fire to my cities and doing harm to the land.
Doesn't my father know that all my infantry and [chariots] are
stationed in Khatte, and that all my ships are stationed in
Lukka? ...Now the seven ships of the enemy which have been
coming have been doing harm to us. Now if other ships of the
enemy turn up, send me a report somehow, so that I may know.
MYSTERIOUS
BRONZE AGE
COLLAPSE
1
Chapter by Sam Hicks

2. What do Historians do when
the Written Record is Missing?
Over the course of a century many of the great
civilizations of the Eastern Mediterranean vanished.
Literacy nearly vanished. Even today, many textbooks
shift their focus away from the Mediterranean and never
mention this cataclysm that shows that civilization is
fragile. The lack of a written record should not be seen
as a reason to skip over this event, but rather as an
opportunity. This is an invitation to you as a student to
be a historian. Review the records. Theorize about what
may have happened. Free from the constraints of a
clear narrative and neatly arranged facts, your goal is
not to memorize each fact, but to use the evidence to
form your own opinion.
When looking at the Bronze Age Collapse, read what
remains of the written records from the time and
scientific evidence for alternative explanations. Analyze
and argue for various explanations using the evidence
that is available to you. This is your chance to solve a
mystery!
4
Map of the great empires
of the Eastern
Mediterranean circa 1200
B.C.E.

3. Image of Deir el-Bahari with temples of Hatshepsut, Thutmosis III and Mentuhotep II. by Ian Lloyd
(lloydi.com) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hatshetsup-temple-1by7.jpg
GALLERY 1.1 The world of the Late Bronze Age
The Eastern Mediterranean
of the Late Bronze Age
One might be forgiven for thinking that civilization
in the Eastern Mediterranean at the close of the
Bronze-Age was stable, even tranquil.
Interdependent networks of trade and the
establishment of international treaties (written and
familial) created a stability and peace. There were
few major wars, but there were professional armies
based on expensive and well-trained charioteers.
Then suddenly (in a historical sense), over the
course of a century, almost every major civilization
of the Eastern Mediterranean disappeared. Only
one civilization survived this destructive wave,
Egypt. This ancient and resilient civilization
escaped destruction by the slimmest of margins
and was left exhausted and vulnerable. This sole
survivor of the literate societies of the late Bronze-
Age leaves cryptic references to invaders from the
North: Denyen, Ekwesh, Lukka, Peleset, Shekelesh,
Sherden, Teresh, Tjekker, and Weshesh. They
record the names of their foes and artistic
depictions of these assailants.
These people appear and suddenly civilization
collapses. It was clearly these marauding new
comers disrupted the staid world of the late Bronze
Age. That is the easy answer, but is it true?
Use the gallery at the right to explore
images from across the Eastern
Mediterranean

4. What Remains for the Written Record?
Sea People
A letter from the King of Ugarit to the
King of Cyprus states, "My father, now
the ships of the enemy have come. They
have been setting fire to my cities and
doing harm to the land. Doesn't my father
know that all my infantry and [chariots]
are stationed in Khatte, and that all my
ships are stationed in Lukka? ...Now the
seven ships of the enemy which have
been coming have been doing harm to
us. Now if other ships of the enemy turn
up, send me a report somehow, so that I
may know." Cline, E. 2014. 1177 B.C. the
Year Civilization Collapsed. Princeton. p.
9
The Egyptian relief at Medinet Habu tells
us, "The foreign countries made a
conspiracy in their islands. All at once the
lands were removed and scattered in the
fray. No land could stand before their
arms, from Khatte, Qode, Carchemish,
Arzawa, and Alashiya on, being cut off
[at one time]. A camp [was set up] in one
place in Amurru. They desolated its
people, and their land was like that which
has never come into being. They were
coming forward toward Egypt, while the
Famine
Letters in the time include these lines, "I
have no grain in my lands." "Do you not
know that there is famine in the midst of
my lands." "It is a matter of life and
death!" “There is famine...we will all die
of hunger. If you do not quickly arrive
here, we ourselves will soon die of
hunger. You will not see a living soul...."
"with me, plenty (has become) famine."
Cline, E. 2014. 1177 B.C. the Year
Civilization Collapsed. Princeton. pp.
143-144.
Documents in Egypt state Pharaoh
Merneptah "caused grain to be taken in
ships, to keep alive this land of Hatti."
Cline, E. 2014. 1177 B.C. the Year
Civilization Collapsed. Princeton. p. 143.
On the receiving end of this shipment of
food aid, a letter from Pharaoh
Merneptah found in Ugarit notes a
"consignment of grain sent from Egypt to
relieve the famine in Ugarit."
Cline, E. 2014. 1177 B.C. the Year
Civilization Collapsed. Princeton. p. 143.
REVIEW 1.1 What do you think?
Check Answer
Which of these best describes the tone of
letters compared to the written records from
the Egyptian sources?
A. The letters are humorous
B. The letters are boastful
C. The letters are nostalgic
D. The letters are pleading

5. MOVIE 1.1 In their wake they left destruction!
Watch this book trailer for Eric Cline’s 1177 B.C. The Year Civilization
Collapsed (Princeton 2014)
The Sea People
The "Sea People" (as modern scholars call them) are recorded in
Egyptian sources as attacking in great numbers, first 1207 B.C.E.,
and again in 1177 B.C.E. The Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses III
commemorated his defeat of the Sea People in a wall relief depicting
his victory at the Battle of the Delta. We still know very little about the
Sea People. We do not know where they came from or where they
settled. We do not know why they came and what motivated them to
attack so many cities. We do not know what they valued, believed, or
thought about because we have no written records from them. They
have left us nothing in their own words. We know them only by the
accounts of people who called them enemies and the destruction for
which they are held responsible.
In the inscription from Ramses III found at Medinet
Habu, he celebrates his victory over the Sea People.
Is there any bias in this inscription? Why is important
to think about the sources when we read primary
sources? How does a lack of a written record from
the Sea People make it difficult historians think about
them fairly when investigating the Bronze Age
collapse?
Image by Beato. [Public domain] https://
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/
File:Philistine_ship_of_war.jpg
GALLERY 1.2 Egyptian Depictions of Sea People
Use the gallery at the left
to explore images of the
Sea People from Egypt.

6. USGS Map of a modern “earthquake storm” that effected Turkey in the 20th
century. Image by USGS (USGS [1]) [Public domain] https://
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:EQ_storm_Turkey.png
GALLERY 1.3 Seismic activity in the Eastern Mediterranean
MOVIE 1.2 What do the Experts say about the
earthquake storm?
Part of a speech by Eric H. Cline to The Oriental
Institute
Earthquake Storms
Historians have often seen any destroyed cities from the
Late Bronze Age and blamed Sea Peoples! While Sea
People may have been responsible, cities in the region are
destroyed or abandoned for many reasons throughout
history and the causes are not all the same. One of the
likely causes for at least some of the destruction is
earthquakes. A review of earthquakes in the area in modern
times suggests these can come in a seemingly rapid
succession or sequence called an "earthquake storm."
Review the maps of earthquakes in the Eastern
Mediterranean and maps of destroyed cities dating from
the late Bronze Age, do you see any patterns? Knowing
what you now know of "earthquake storms" in the region,
what role might these have played in the collapse of
civilizations in the late Bronze Age?

7. Mediterranean Sea
The Dead Sea
Hala Sultan Tekke
Hazor
Ugarit
INTERACTIVE 1.1 A complex picture of climate change, famine, migration, invasion, even civil
unrest!
1 2 3 4 5
REVIEW 1.2 What does the Map suggest to
you?
Check Answer
Why did Amnon Ben-Tor say that Hazor
was likely not destroyed by the Sea
People?
A. They had the same
religion
B. It was too far inland to
be attacked by Sea
People
C. The site appears to
have been destroyed in
an earthquakes
D. The attackers were
Israelites
The map above is in Norwegian. It shows the path
of destruction often associate with the Sea People,
sites of significant battles, and the locations of
cities (those destroyed and those left standing).
See if you can locate the city of Troy that was
supposedly destroyed by Greeks in this period.
Also, visit the city of Hazor, the destruction of which
9
Key Questions
What do you think happened?
What does the evidence tell you?
the Bible credits to the Israelites. Other locations on
the map provide other clues about the fate of these
great civilizations.
When you are finished exploring the map, take a
few moments to analyze what you have learned
about the Bonze Age collapse.

8. Books and Scholarly Articles used or
Referenced
Cline, Eric H. 1177 B.C.: The Year
Civilization Collapsed. Princeton University
Press. (2014).
Drake, Brandon L. The Influence of Climatic
Change on the Late Bronze Age Collapse
and the Greek Dark Ages. Journal of
Archaeological Science xxx (2012) 1-9.
accessed on 11/27/2016 via http://www.q-
mag.org/_media/drake-2012-bronze-age.pdf
Kaniewski, David, Elise Van Campo, Joël
Guiot, Sabine Le Burel, Thierry Otto, Cecile
Baeteman. Environmental Roots of the Late
Bronze Age Crisis. PLOS ONE (2013).
accessed 11/28/16 via http://
journals.plos.org/plosone/article?
id=10.1371/journal.pone.0071004
References
Images not Referenced Elsewhere
1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed,
Eric H. Cline - Book Trailer for Paperback.
Princeton University Press. accessed on
11/22/16 via https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=fUNbLcTJzh0
Cline, E. 1177 B.C. 1177 BC: The Year
Civilization Collapsed. Address to the
Oriental Institute on February 25, 2015.
Published on April 6, 2015. Accessed via
YouTube on 11/19/2016. https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyry8mgXiTk
Interactive Map of the Bronze Age Collapse
based on map by by Finn Bjørklid (Own
work) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/
File:Bronsealderens_sammenbrudd.jpg
Map of 14th century B.C. Eastern
Mediterranean by Alexikoua, https://
commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:
14_century_BC_Eastern.png
Books and Scholarly Articles used or
Referenced (cont.)
Kaniewski, David, Elise Van Campo, Karel
Van Lerberghe, Tom Boiy, Klaas
Vansteenhuyse, Greta Jans, Karin Nys,
Harvey Weiss, Christophe Morhange,
Thierry Otto, Joachim Bretschneider. The
Sea Peoples, from Cuneiform Tablets to
Carbon Dating. PLOS ONE (2011).
accessed 11/28/16 via http://
journals.plos.org/plosone/article?
id=10.1371/journal.pone.0020232
Langgut, Dafna, Israel Finkelstein, Thomas
Litt. Climate and the Late Bronze Collapse:
New Evidence from the Southern Levant.
TEL AVIV Vol. 40, 2013, 149–175. accessed
via http://archaeology.tau.ac.il/wp-content/
uploads/2014/01/
Langgut_et_al_LB_Collapse_2013.pdf

9. 11
Reflection
Strangely, the first thing that popped into
my mind when we received this Document
Based Lesson assignment was to create a
lesson about what historians do when the
written records are lost or missing.
I also decided that, as this would eventually
lead to writing a chapter in an eBook, to
write the chapter that is missing from my
students’ textbook–the collapse of literacy
and civilizations in the Eastern
Mediterranean at the end of the Bronze Age
in roughly 1200 B.C.E.
I had a wonderful time with this project and
I learned new skills for various applications.
I also took a chance and e-mailed Dr. Eric
Cline–an expert on the late Bronze Age. He
put me in contact with other people and
opportunities related to this topic. It was a
good reminder that academics are
collaborative and supportive; in future, I will
continue to reach out to experts and
resources that can enrich my students’
learning.
About the Author
Sam Hicks grew up in California where he
excelled in Social Studies. After high school,
he studied international politics and the
European Union at American University.
He has worked on political campaigns and
not-for-profit health care.
Currently residing in Portland, Oregon, he is
finishing his Masters in Teaching at the
University of Portland.
Mr. Hicks is pursuing a career as a teacher
and hopes to encourage critical thinking, a
genuine and honest interest in other people
and cultures, and effective collaboration
among his students.
“These are valuable skills that have served
me well across many careers and in my
academic life. They are learned skills and
require practice. We owe it to our students
to give them compelling curricula that ask
the best of them and afford them the
opportunity to excel.” --Sam Hicks

10. Exploring History Vol IV
University of Portland Students
Peter Pappas, Editor

11. This eBook is a collaborative project of Peter Pappas
and his Fall 2016 Social Studies Methods Class
School of Education ~ University of Portland, Portland Ore.
Graduate and undergraduate level pre-service teachers were assigned the
task of developing an engaging research question, researching supportive
documents and curating them into a DBQ suitable for middle or high
school students.
For more on this class, visit the course blog EdMethods
For more on this book project and work flow tap here.
Chapters in chronological order
1. Mysterious Bronze Age Collapse by Sam Hicks
2. From Revolution to Government by Valerie Schiller
3. Imagination, Innovation & Space Exploration by Molly Pettit
4. The Real Romanovs by Kelly Marx
5. World War I: The Human Cost of Total War by Anna
Harrington
6. Collectivization and Propaganda in Stalin’s Soviet Union by
Clarice Terry
7. Holy Propaganda Batman! by Karina Ramirez Velazquez
8. The Nicaraguan Literacy Crusade by Scott Hearron
EXPLORING HISTORY: VOL IV
i
Engaging questions and historic
documents empower students to be
the historian in the classroom.

12. Peter Pappas, editor
School of Education ~ University of Portland
His popular blog, Copy/Paste features downloads of his instructional
resources, projects and publications. Follow him at Twitter @edteck.
His other multi-touch eBooks are available at here.
© Peter Pappas and his students, 2016
The authors take copyright infringement seriously. If any copyright holder has
been inadvertently or unintentionally overlooked, the publisher will be pleased to
remove the said material from this book at the very first opportunity.
ii
Cover design by Anna Harrington
Cover image: Timeless Books
By Lin Kristensen from New Jersey, USA
[CC BY 2.]
via Wikimedia Commons