The Kingdom of Alashiya and the Bronze Age Collapse | Dr. Louise Hitchcock
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- čas přidán 28. 05. 2024
- Alashiya, also spelled Alasiya, also known as the Kingdom of Alashiya, was a state which existed in the Middle and Late Bronze Ages, and was situated somewhere in the Eastern Mediterranean. It was a major source of goods, especially copper, for ancient Egypt and other states in the Ancient Near East. It is referred to in a number of the surviving texts and is now thought to be the ancient name of Cyprus, or an area of Cyprus. This was confirmed by the scientific analysis performed in the Tel Aviv University of the clay tablets which were sent from Alashiya to other rulers.
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Video Attributions:
Chris Krzentz ~ Cyprus Archaeological Museum in Nicosia, Cyprus (2015)
• The #Cyprus #Archaeolo...
Chris Krzentz ~ Pigadhes : a bronze age sanctuary in Cyprus (Oct 26, 2017)
• Pigadhes : a bronze ag...
Bronze Age Map ~ www.tabulae-geographicae.de/2...
A very special thank you to Chris above and Cy below. Their footage really brought this history to life.
HistoryCy ~ Στην Χοιροκοιτία ~ Choirokoitia
• ~ Στην Χοιροκοιτία ~ C...
Petronela ~ CYPRUS MUSEUM - Nicosia
• CYPRUS MUSEUM - Nicosia
Davidsbeenhere ~ Cyprus Museum in Nicosia, Cyprus
• Cyprus Museum in Nicos...
Kyriakos Demetriou ~ The Cyprus Museum
• The Cyprus Museum
I love the subject of the Bronze Age Collapse. A lot of things happened in the region about that time. I have a lot of questions myself: the Phillistines and Israelites, Troy, the Sea Peoples, and many more. It seems like, the more you dig and discover, the more questions arise everywhere. Great discussion with Dr Hitchcock, thanks!
I will tell you all about them. I know better than all of them.
You might enjoy my friend's new historical novel, *The Diomedeia: Diomedes, the Peoples of the Sea, and the Bronze Collapse*, by Gregory Michael Nixon.
Imagine making things back then, not realizing it will last longer than you can comprehend.
I like Dr. Hitchcock, she's always so enthused and knowledgeable.
I do as well, I also love her thoughts on modern parallels as well. You'd love the bits that I edit off.
I love the passion and the endless knowledge. Me when talking about Rome 😂😂🖤
@@studyofantiquityandthemidd4449 I caught the bit where you were talking about hustling and realised that you guys get on really well
I NEVER get tired of talking about the Bronze Age Mediterranean, especially the Minoans and Cyprus
Louise A. Hitchcock keep up the good fight doctor!
Thanks Dr for all your work to bring us these fascinating looks into the bronze age, and the ancient history of the world in general. This lady is very knowledgeable, like her style!
Glad you enjoyed it And thanks for your support!
This is the first time that I watched this video. I shared it on my Cyprus Culture Facebook group. Thank you for providing the links to my videos, from where you used my video footage with my written permission.
Fascinating stuff! Dr. Hitchcock is great
She truly is!
Near were I live there’s a dig site where they found a Bronze Age village (Bamboulla) (Cyprus)and ever since I visited it while I was on a school trip I became fascinated with the Bronze Age,and so you can thank a few peeps 3500 years ago for me watching this video 😂
You're so lucky to live in Cyprus.
If I was Cypriot maybe,but I am English and everyone hates the english here 😂
@@brandonchdib5380 bet you they hate Americans more 😂
@@shable1436 nah mate they hate us more because we have bases in akrotiri Episkopi and Dhekla,but they fucking desipise the Turks(for obvious reasons)
@@EasternOrthodox101 i mean thats what the place is called, its litterally 5 miniutes walk from where i live there are the holes where they dug out the dead, and houses and identified it as baboula, i was refering to bamboula specifically , my bad xd
Firstly, I must (once again) indicate that I have become, for quite some time, a major enthusiastic subscriber of this excellent Channel. As for the contents of this particular video, they represent yet another stupendous ancient historical work, exceptionally rich and diverse in terms of theories pertaining to imprecise archaic cultures, which flourished during the time of the so-called "Late Bronze Age Collapse," along with the related, mysterious "Sea Peoples". Thank you so much for this outstanding upload
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Primeiramente, devo (mais uma vez) indicar que me tornei, já faz muito tempo, um assinante entusiasta deste excelente Canal. Quanto ao conteúdo deste vídeo em particular, este representa mais uma estupenda obra histórica arcaica, excepcionalmente rica e diversa em termos de teorias pertencentes a antiquíssimas culturas enigmáticas, que floresceram durante o tempo do chamado "Colapso da parte final da Idade do Bronze," juntamente com os relacionados, misteriosos "Povos do Mar" ("Povos Marítimos"?). Muito obrigado por este excelente upload
boaa Amadeu concordo tb o canal é fera
This is an excellent video, thanks for talking about ancient Kypros! It is odd to mention contemporary Cyprus though. Why mention the attempt to join Greece but not the Turkish invasion and continued occupation? Or the fact that Turkey has demographically shifted the Turkish-speaking population from Turkish Cypriot to Turkish by importing settlers from Anatolia. Better yet, don't even mention anything contemporary at all since it has nothing to do with our ancient history.
It would be nice to leave the present out, except when archaeologists try to create narratives to legitimize national claims. I simply mention it, as I don't have a horse in this race.
@@louisehitchcock6438 I'm going to respectfully push back here. The issue is the that you don't need to bring it up at all. Refuting the theory of earlier colonization should be dealt with through actual evidence. There is no reason to give a reductive and misleading retelling of modern Cypriot history and its controversial nature. In fact, there may be people watching this video who leave with a skewed-view of modern Cypriot conflict based on your comments. Our island was not simply partitioned, it was invaded and (is still) occupied. You are not an expert in this field, so it is forgivable, yet you should not be including it in your work. This is very unfortunate as I am generally a fan of your work and agree with many of your theories. However, the modern Cyprus comment is irresponsible, inaccurate, and unacceptable.
@@MarinheiroMuculmano Dear Herakles, On the one hand, I agree with you. However, not everyone is as knowledgeable about Cyprus as we are and I felt some context was necessary. The thing is most Cypriot archaeologists do follow the evidence, but VK doesn't and I think it was important to make people aware. I do follow the evidence. Cyprus is a wonderful place and doesn't need Mycenaeans to make it interesting. The vast majority of viewers do not know Cyprus. In addition, often the public do not see a connection between past and present or any relevance in studying the past. So, I think we will have to agree to disagree.
@@louisehitchcock6438 I agree that there is a connection and relevance to studying the past that we should impress upon the "average" person. It just feels like you are giving a very biased view of the Turkish state in Cyprus, and in general. Being a descendant of Asia Minor and Cypriot Christians, I know what it means to lose everything due to genocide and invasion. It just seems like you are giving them a free pass and are being uneven in your quick description of why Cyprus is divided today. When you consider how Turkey oppresses its press, opposition parties, minorities, and also uses gunboat diplomacy with its neighbors while touting neocolonial dreams; it really doesn't deserve to be given a free pass. Congress has recognized all of the above issues but our executive branch does not because of personal ties to the Erdogan regime.
Furthermore, there is a strong tradition of wiping native Christian traditions out of the history books in Anatolia. Turkish schools teach flat out lies about Greek, Armenian, and Assyrian heritage and history. There is an actual belief by much of the populace that we oppressed the natives for thousands of years and that the Turks liberated the actual Anatolians, who are the pure descendants of the Hittites. I don't need to tell you how absurd that is based on archeology, history, or genetics. When it comes to ancient history, the Turks have absolutely nothing to do with Anatolia. Regardless of how you feel about Mycenaeans or VK, we are Greek because our ancestors chose to mix with Greeks and accept/adapt their culture into their lives.
Thank you for you hard-work in studying this area of the world and best of luck to you in all your future endeavors!
I was trying to show how the past is relevant to the present. You’re right: the talk was unscripted & I’ll try to do better next time
Thanks for another excellent episode with Dr. Hitchcock, and really good questions, Nick.
“...gripped by the hand of Nergal...”
*Warhammer 40k fans enter the chat*
Obscure? This episode is for me. Thanks again and again
Thank you for watching!
Keep them comming, learning is fun.
That's the plan! And thanks for your support!
This was a great interview, and very inciteful on the trade networks between Alasiya, the Minoans, Britain, Dilmun, and Canaan.
You have one of the most fascinating channels on CZcams, I love it! Dr. Hitchcock was great, many thanks to her as well. One, very tiny, suggestion for her, at first usage of 15th Century, 13th C, etc., she might want to specify BCE for people who are very new to studies of antiquity.
Any talk you hear me give will be BCE because the rest is post modern, lol
Yay!! Ty ty for all of your amazing work.
You are so welcome! And thank you for your support!
Omg! Nick you're a legend and thank you both so much, I've been eagerly searching for videos on bronze age Cyprus since I learned of the 1200 collapse, that there was a Minoan-Cypro script, huge fortification walls etc etc, awesome stuff thanks heaps, can't wait for more!
Dear Frog, that is truly a kind comment and I really appreciate your support. And yes, it is such a fascinating subject! I may tackle Kingdoms of Ancient Cyprus in the future!
Great guest. Do more interviews with Dr. LOUISE HITCHCOCK
I shall! I think I may pester her for come Mycenean and Minoan materials!
The Study of Antiquity and the Middle Ages
Yes please!
Excellent graphics, Nick, all of my favorites!
Wonderful video! Dr. Hitchcock fabulously eruditely expresses a large volume of evidence in a easy to comprehend manner. At 13:55 her mention of the “shrouding of science” in religious terms I found to be very helpful.. it is my belief for example to move from the isle of Cypress to the isle of Britannia... that the Arthurian Legend cycle involving “Excalibur” follows this type of behavior. The drawing of the sword from the stone; is I believe a reference to a iron meteorite. The “Lady of the Lake” is a symbolic reference to quenching and tempering of the worked iron into steel. Thus creating a enduring narrative in the verbal tradition of a “magical” weapon. Magic simply being a advanced technology unknown to individuals encountering something new. In this way the story holds multiple meanings and levels of understanding which in time becomes distorted. The exact moment of this event lost in time and quite possibly a imported narrative then localized by verbal tradition. In a similar manner for example if the Legend of St. George and the Dragon is examined... a trade ship carrying a exotic Komodo Dragon. The ship wrecks probably due to bacteria infection or accidental release of the captive reptile. The unusually large captive reptile is aggressive towards humans. The people bitten are infected by foreign bacteria and the resulting fever... “burns them up” in the verbal retelling. The breath of the Komodo dragon is connected to scent of the infectious bacteria. Brave St. George sets out on a cool British morning possibly after a rainy night or longer... thusly facing a formidable threat of unknown origins with a tactical advantage of a temperature variance allowing his victory to not be a martyrdom. With this event a legend is created and near mythology is created. The codified results of knowledge by the religious castes and political usurpation of information creating cultural values that lose the original meaning and the hidden meanings as the narratives are passed down through time. The lines between our understanding and the symbols of beliefs become projections of modern thoughts rather than representations of Ancient culture and knowledge. The symbol of Mithras and other “Bull effigies” becomes muddled rather than distinct. Even if the ancient thinkers are expressing... earth, air, water, fire... our modern terms are solid, gas, liquid, plasma... and we project onto them ignorance in our desire to be more advanced rather than recognizing our projections. As the educated classes lock down certain information into irrefutable blocks of knowledge they lose the perspectives of science in the political social dogmatic reasoning of hierarchical power and knowledge structures. Knowledge is power. The resulting situations lead to misunderstandings and the spread of misinformation which is then standardized and politically correct. This process is very dangerous for true understanding and gets in the way of research. Thank you both for such a wonderful topic and sharing your knowledge and research.
I love how you're getting us nearly direct contact with these industry professionals. You're opening the ivory tower to us, let's enjoy it.
This comment is truly the reason why I do what I do and it is for people like you and me! Thanks for noticing that and stay well!
Happy to speak to a larger audience.
@@ashlarblocks cheers! For many of us who love history but don't study it at a uni, we're living in a golden age!
@@skeletalbassman1028 I try to tell my students this. In the 18th century only aristocrats could afford to travel to see stuff. In the late 19th century, the invention of the slide projector democratized access to knowledge to a certain extent. The internet makes much more possible
Good morning!! Thank you for the content. The music has me excited, hence the !!!
Morning! And thank you for your support!
Thank you for shedding light on the Ancient history of Cyprus. Fascinating.
Very interesting. 👍 Also, if you do get the opportunity, please do have her colleague/former student on: sounds as though he's got expertise in a fascinating area. 👍👍
Great suggestion! And absolutely!
I simply love this. More. More. More.
Thank you, Nick AND Dr. Hitchcock!! Fascinating & well spoken talk 😊
Thank you for sharing this wonderful conversation.
Glad you enjoyed it! And thanks for watching!
this is the first video I watch from this channel.
interesting stuff, great guest. thumbs up.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I think that Sicily is the largest island on the Mediterranean, right?
You know it should be, I think it is larger than Crete right? Actually I take that back, Sicily should be the largest!
@@studyofantiquityandthemidd4449 Both Sicily (25.8*) and Sardinia (24.1*) are larger. Then comes Cyprus (9.3*), Corsica (8.7*), Crete (8.3*) and Euboea (3.6*) in that order.
*k sq km.
Indeed, it appears that you are correct; or at least both islands may have nearly the same territorial area.
Yeah, I believe she meant to say the largest in Eastern Meditterean, it happens lol
I think she meant to say eastern Mediterranean
Awesome work as always, Nick and Louise!
Glad you enjoyed it! And thanks!
I enjoyed listening to this history discussion. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it! And thanks for listening!
Amazing work! Just one thing. It would be great if you compiled all these interviews into a longer video. Personally I find them short, especially Eric Cline's.
Right he could do series and then like 6 months later a compilation release as well. Kings and Generals use that tactic.
Great suggestion! And yes, I started making slightly shorter videos because as a family man working fulltime I was finding it hard to keep up since I operate solo when it comes to recording and editing the videos and so my thought was to make them shorter to increase views which also means I get a few videos out of one recording, I do appreciate your feedback on this and will take this to mind.
@@studyofantiquityandthemidd4449 - Just join them into (expandable) playlists: it's just a sorted list and a few clicks away.
Minoans have been the main focus of my personal research. But I've decided to branch out to understand their trading partners better. This is the first time I've heard of this kingdom, thank you for the video.
same here
Very important. I’ve only recently branched out myself
Great stuff
Thank you very much for this collection of excellent, informative and educational videos. I am particularly interested in the Bronze Age of the Mediterranean and the Indian Subcontinent. This video on Cyprus is very illuminating. I hope that you make a second one that focuses more on the various important Bronze Age sites in Cyprus. Please make videos on India and the Harappan civilisation.
wonderful detail
Very interesting. Alashiya is mentioned in Genesis as Elisha and Kition appears as Chittim.
I still can't believe that Nick is no longer with us... I feel his loss like the loss of someone close to me...
This was great....and yes...the Minoan language! Love to learn more about it.
Thank You for this Great video! 😁
Great lecture.
Many thanks!
That was amazing!
Great stuff thanks! And please do get the former student of hers who is a expert on the Minoan language, ( Linear A?), on your channel.
Great suggestion!
I was just playing around wikipedia and learned about them, could you Index theses videos in there too?
That is a really great idea!
You should make a video about what if the Bronze Age Collapse didn't occur.
Great video as always!
Great, thanks!
You're welcome!
Thank You!
You're welcome!
Excelente video y saludos desde Lima Perú
Very interesting topic and guest. What’s the source of the captivating music?
It is called Tribal War and is provided by CZcams Studio!
I miss Nick’s enthusiasm for this subject. I enjoyed watching this channel grow. R.I.P.
The whole Ugarit/Alashiya scenario...with the call for help from the black ships etc ..that really connects so well with the Report of Wendiamun! Paider (the Peleset) described living on Alashiya and being contract merchant marine for the King of Ugarit!
Ugarit pulled the plug and withdrew from contracting them for merchant journey's remember?! Later on, a coalition of disenfranchised Alashiyan settlements made up of Peleset and Tjekker wound up being part of the force that sacked Ugarit! Crazy it's all in there
Genesis 10:4 talks about a tribe called a-l-y-sh-h (Elishah) descendents of y-w-n (Javan) which is Ionia (Greece).
The same verse also cites k-t-y-m (Kittim) which could have been a name for Kition...
But the Hebrew Bible (OT) is written many centuries after these events. Kitos is a an actual Iron Age town of ancient Cyprus (towards the SE, surely which most commonly traded with Phoenicia and Canaan) and the Hebrews seem to adopt the name of that city for all the island and even for all NW foreigners in general (Kittim).
Similarly the relation of Alasya to "Ionia" (Greece) in their time (Iron Age) would be surely straightforwards but does not necessarily (nor probably) reflects the actual situation in the Bronze Age, when the Hebrews, were at best in a very pre-civilizational stage at the egdes of Egyptian-controlled Djahy (Canaan).
True, especially re Kition. Sometimes names are used, but the references are imprecise. The references to Alasiya are much older.
Lived and worked in Cyprus for around 6-7 years. Dr Hitchcock has a natural enthusiasm for Cyprus as well as extreme knowledge. Karageorghis' version of Cyprus history may be put to bed and oddly it reveals, like many places in the Greek world, that piracy was an economic choice. Long live CAARI!
What is the genetic makeup of Greek Cypriots?
Greek Cypriots are mainly Mediterranean in origin, deriving mostly from Neolithic populations of Anatolia and the Aegean (45-50%), with a considerable Caucaso-Iranic component (20-28%), a relatively small to moderate Levantine component (12-18%) and a little bit of ‘northern’ ancestry from the Steppes (7-13%). Percentages fluctuate a bit depending on the datasets and model of analysis. Some what matches the historical migration of Cyprus that Dr. Hitchcock was talking about earlier on in the video.
We have to mention that Greek and Turkish Cypriots have identical DNA results
I really enjoyed the discussion, although I thought it was a bit unprofessional for her to accuse her Greek colleague hating her due to differing opinions on Cyprus. He wasn't there to defend himself therefore she shouldn't have brought the accusations up.
If a person is aware of the wind patterns and sea currents of the Mediterranean. What she actually described was Cyprus first being inhabited by people with ships not relying on wind, but just the currents. Which runs from Egypt up the coast of the Levant and then towards Cyprus (CIRCULAR HOMES). Then later with the invention of sail, you get sailing ships traveling by wind. Which takes you out of the Aegean, then south of Crete, and then towards Cyprus. Or from anywhere out of coastal Western Anatolia (RECTANGULAR HOMES). With the age of bronze age sail also opening up travel avenues from all areas of the Meditteranean so the reference to Barbarossa the sailor. This was originally a reply to another comment, but just putting this out there. If any knowledgable people on anything related to this statement of mine have to add or subtract from it. More than welcome lol. Not an expert, so always looking forward to being corrected to the random stuff I throw at the wall and then watch if it sticks lol.
Sail was probably a thing at least with the first European Neolithic, maybe some 8000 years ago, maybe even before. There's not just some evidence for Cardium Pottery farmers (and active fishermen) capturing deep water fish but also their colonization of many distant islands, notably the Balearic archipelago, uninhabited to that date but settled just as the Iberian coast was being settled as well, and also Corsica and Sardinia (from Tuscany surely), as well as the rapid pace of coastal colonization of that culture (which originated in Epirus) and the fact that previously they were gathering materials from islands in the Aegean, all that strongly supports some form of relatively advanced sailing. It's not the amazing Austronesian adventure across the Pacific Ocean, nor the equally fascinating crossing into Australia and Papua many many millennia earlier, but it's still the oldes evidence we have for serious (more than just rafting or canoing) navigation in Europe and sourrounding areas (West Asia, North Africa).
I'm pretty sure that some (maybe many) of my remote ancestors (and also surely yours as your surname looks Serbocroat) arrived migrated by sailing some 7-8 millenia ago. They may have gone through Cyprus and the southern coast of Asia Minor before that.
@@LuisAldamiz I took a bunch of caffeine today to study some stock market material, but you guys really distracted me LOL. Remember bull horns stuff earlier. It just dawned on me. Jesus sacrificed himself for mankind taking our sins. Like the Bull sacrifice story. So before everyone wore horns on their helmets. Today or peaking with crusades people wore crosses everywhere.. Am I right or what LOL.. Have a good night. LOL. I got to get some sleep and try this study thing again tmrw lol
@@MarkVrem - The bull cult probably has more echoes in Mitra than in Jesus, which is rather a lamb cult and thus, if anything would be related to Amon (also Amen, as the Christians and Jews say) and related Phoenician god Baal-Hammon.
@@LuisAldamiz Well you are talking about the southern bull cult the one that took root around Egypt.. The northern wing ended up in Europe and India LOL... This is some Sunni/Shia stuff of Bullcults... Romans vs Carthagians.. lol
@@MarkVrem - No, I'm not mentioning Egypt at all. There was probably some bull cult in Egypt at some point (but maybe Hellenistic, look up Serapis) but it was not prominent at all. Also Egyptians were primarily farmers anyhow, not shepherds. They did have a strong *cow* cult however around the figure of Hathor and the taboo of eating cows (very similar to the one in India) but the bull cult seems more focused on the bravery and macho aspects of the bull and/or the bullfighter.
In fact, I am quite familiar, because it is traditional over here with the non-bloody tradition of bullock running, which is probably the most simple form of "bullfight": you basically taunt the bullock and then avoid it, the next level is "recorte" ("cutting" or "dribbling"), who do gymnastics around avoiding the bull, not anymore a mere bullock, which is basically what is depicted at the famous Cnosssos' fresco. All those bloodless form of bullfight celebrate the bravery of both the bull and the humans, typically young men, without incurring into bloody sacrifice, let alone torture of the animal as in mainstream modern bullfights.
However Plato's narration of Atlantis mentions that the ten kings of this legendary country (which I associate with a civilization that existed in Portugal) celebrated a "ritual hunt of the bull" and drank its blood before imparting justice. If real, this may suggest that more bloody rituals than the ones reflected in Cretan frescoes did happen already in the Bronze Age.
As for the religious figure venerated it's hard to say but I can't but conjure the "mother of bulls" (and the many bull horn pairs) in Çatalhöyuk as a plausible origin for it. After all it is the very same area where bulls and cows were first domesticated, a much more daunting task than managing sheep and goats, as the first herders did.
There are different rituals anyhow, some South Sudanese have an adulthood access ritual in which the boy has to walk over the backs of several aligned cows without falling to the ground. This is also a bovine pastoralist ritual but it is very different from those we seem to discern in the Mediterranean area.
You say it's like shia and sunni, I'd rather say they are like Judaism, Hinduism and Voudoun: not related, even if all are religions. Just because they have some notions about the bull or the cow (you seem to make no difference between cattle genders but there is or at least there can be) it does not make them all automatically the same thing.
Many folks in Kazakhstan still identify as part of the al Ash Horde or the Flame Horde or the followers of Zoroas(h)ter or Zarathustra. Directly south of the Altai is the Zarafshan (Metal Mountain) with rich copper & tin deposits. The bronze age started here.
Cassiterite (SnO2), oxidized tin was probably captured along with gold in the sheep fleeces that were placed in the 金属山 (gold & metal mountain) Zarafshan River or زرافشان (gold spreader) or Sughd (Sogdian) River.
There is no question that Bronze was a game changer for humans. Zarafshan is one of the few places in the world that have rich deposits of both tin & copper in close proximity. South West Britain also has rich deposits of both tin & copper.
The Wilusa aka Welsh aka Cymraeg aka Tjekers aka Teucrians probably began their migration to Anatolia & area along with the tin from #Zeravshan. Copper = Cyprus = Alashiya= al Ash = Kazakhstan Tanais = tin
Seven months later, I just love hearing from Dr Hitchcock once again! I used a great many of your ideas in my recent novel, *Diomedes in Kyprios* (the name for Cyprus mentioned in the Linear B tablets). Maa is a pirate hangout. The island is a mix of cultures what often freely merge. Kition with its "cyclopaean" walls was never taken (but I make the Egyptians attack, not the Sea Peoples who are already there). C'mon, Louise, let's go pirating together!
Awesome video but her references to the bull reminds me of the worship of Hathor in the Nile valley
Thanks for watching and interesting, tell me more!
Hathor has many similitudes to the "mother of bulls" of Çatalhöyuk I believe. Haven't explored the issue in depth but my impression is that they are related, that they share a common origin in the place of domestication of bovine cattle, which is southern Asia Minor, around the aptly named Taurus Mts.
I believe it has to do with a pastoral culture. check this out. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pastoralism#/media/File:ArchaeoGLOBE_PAS.gif
So going by that Pastoralism maybe started around what is today Iran/Iraq a long time and then spread out towards Egypt and into Africa while at the same time up towards where it ran into Indo-Europeans and then into Europe and India. Africa is an interesting case cause at first it starts down Ethiopian on the east coast. But eventually, once it spreads towards Bantu lands, then there is an explosion that takes them with their conquests into South Africa. This explosion coincides with the Turkish and Mongol pastoral societies doing their conquests. So the bottom line is, beef makes us aggressive, for lands to feed our precious animals, but eventually we settle down. lol
@@MarkVrem - Of course it is related to pastoralism but we see in this period certain prominence of the bull iconography in many areas around the Mediterranean, not all ideal for nomadic pastoralism. Very notably the Minoan civilization but also, as we see in this video in Cyprus and, for what I know from other materials, in Iberia as well, where it still has echoes in the form of the quite controversial bullfights.
Thanks guys for explaining the different perspective. I also can see a connection with the cult of the Apis Bull predates those of the Mediterranean and Anatolia. Because non of the locations had established institutions or writing as those dating back to the the first Dynasty in the Nile valley
Awesome video, Minoans seems like they are related to Cyprus too
They interacted
I like how the intro looks now 👍
Thanks for that! I really had a lot of fun with this!
great video. One suggestion, could you provide links (preferably hyperlinks) to Dr. Hitchcock's website (or other presenters) and or relevant articles or enough to do a Google Scholar search.. Some of us would like to go deeper.
Great suggestion! They are in the video description!
If you google me, you'll also find a ton of stuff.
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Love the video - two questions, if I may? First, is the black stone related to the one worshiped by the cult around Elagabalus in the third century? Also, is there any work done around the symbol of the bull being so prominent in the ancient world, but then falling out of favor as time went on? Also, does that relate to the sun moving out of the Taurus constellation (perhaps leading to the cult of Mithras in the first century AD)?
Not sure about the stone. On the bull, I believe it has to do with old Indo-European related religion. Greek, Hittite, Sardinians, rectangle building Cypriots, were probably Indo-Europeans. Basically, the story goes, there were 2 brothers. One brother is the MAN, mankind, the other is the BULL, nature basically. To create the world for the man to enjoy, the bull sacrificed itself. ... Basically, it's human admission that we are aware that all the goodness we enjoy is taken from nature. ANYWAYS.. .. After, the sacrifice, the man became a priest I believe. Then later he was joined by a Warrior who is basically a king or a chief, to protect the priest. So that is setting up like the government type of the time. So these helmets with horns are basically paying homage to the bull that sacrificed itself to create the world. These warriors wearing horns, will be like the bull and sacrifice themselves if they have to, for the greater good. Protecting the priest and what the people believe in. Now this story has parallels to Adam and Eve, also some stories similar in sub-Saharan African cultures. To the Tengri religion of the Mongols and steppe etc.. The Chinese have something similar involving a guy and an egg. So it's an old story probably going back who knows how far and changed to meet the needs of the people. Adam and Eve's story for example fits the needs of sedentary farming communities. the Indo-European version is more closely resembling the Tengri religion of the Mongols, so it shows it has roots in a pastoral may be a nomadic type of community.
Actually just came to me, but Romulus and Remus of Rome is also a parallel story of this. There is a ton fo these stories of a "beginning" Involving 2 of something with one being sacrificed.
The black stone is Aphrodite worshipped at Kouklia-Palaepaphos in west Cyprus. Can't answer your other question.
@@MarkVrem The bull is a symbol of the Mesopotamian weather god Adad as well as later Zeus.
@@louisehitchcock6438 I appreciate the reply - I realize my questions came mostly from seeing common motifs from tangentially related cultures, and from different time periods. I am always amazed how interconnected the cultures of the past were, and how long cultural memories persist - I was really curious to see if there are known direct links. Thank you!
Everyone loved easily defended sites, not just the pirates.
There's more to it than that, see my pirate articles on academia.edu
Excellent presentation. I hope to see Dr. Hitchcock often, she's truly interesting. Some notes:
1. The warrior statue is extremely similar to those from Nuraghic Sardinia (but more refined and with smaller horns). I'll guess that the beard may have been a more Phoenician-like addition, as it makes the statuette more similar to depictions of Baal, right?
2. Stone Aphrodite reminds me of how Romans' Magna Mater (Cybeles imported from Asia Minor) was also venerated originally as goddess with a stone for face or head.
3. Bull cult: on one side I can't but recall the bull heads of Çatalhöyuk and Goddess birthing bulls in that same South Anatolian site (allso bovine cattle was domesticated in that area). Also there is in faraway Iberia, which was in some connection with Cyprus and/or Syria in the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age (later, since c. 1550 BCE maybe, the relation seems to move towards Mycenaean Greece instead) adopting some sort of bull cult in that era (bulls appear instead of older deers in rock art and sometimes replace them, the bull cult would persist in the Iron Age).
4. Sardinia and tin: makes sense but the tin could come from NW Iberia, which was a major source and has been detected AFAIK in Sardinian tin (along with Sinaitic copper, those Sherden were trading with all the Mediterranean in the BA). I'm a bit surprised by the Cornish origin claim but (if the chemical signature says so, I'll bow to evidence), because I thought that Cornwall was only intensely exploited later, in the Iron Age. In any case most tin circulating in the BA Mediterranean was from Atlantic European origins and had to go through complicated trade routes which would almost invariably pass through Sardinia or the SE Iberian civilization of El Argar (whose phase B is strongly influenced by Mycenaean Greece).
5. On the hatred by Greek ultra-nationalist prehistorians, for the little I know, I'd rather stand with Dr. Hitchcock. I'm not sure if Alasya was a unified kingdom or rather an array of polities (with whatever "overlord" hierarchy) but I'm under the very strong impression that it was only Hellenized with the Sea People's conquests of c. 1178 BCE, which were largely a Mycenaean (Denesh = Danaoi) campaign against the Hittite Empire with the help of an amazingly large coalition. It's a pity that no written or even legendary memory of this massive campaign has reached us via the Greek side (only the probably related legend of Troy) because it would help us a lot to better understand the puzzle of the Sea Peoples and the first phase of the LBA collapse.
The bull horns on helmets. Look at some other ancient Sardinian warriors statues some of them have the same type of really long winding horns with a ball at the end. Very similar to the ancient Norse or Celtic (who knows) ones found in like Denmark. To me, it shows Indo-European religious influence. The whole story of sacrificing the bull to make the world. Warriors are to be sacrificed to protect the priests and the warrior king. That could be Greek, or Hittite, or Sardinian influence on Cyprus who knows.
As always dear sir, I thank you for your comments and support! And yes, I love having her on and will do so as much as she allows!
@@studyofantiquityandthemidd4449 - TY. One sideline question I'm curious about: is she somehow related to Alfred Hitchcock, of mid-20th century cinema fame? She has some air but maybe it's just me imagining things...
@@MarkVrem - Horned helmets were used by various cultures, including, I believe the sumerians. Horned helmets were NOT used by the Vikings. Horned helmets may just reflect some sort of bull worship or association to bulls which has been a constant in various religions, mostly in the West Asian and Mediterranean area since very long ago. They may just have a meaning of bravery and manliness, who knows?
One thing I do know: Nuraghic Sardinians had zero Indoeuropean influence, even modern Sardinians stand out along with Basques, as the less Indoeuropean of all populations of Europe. My acquaintance, Prof. Juan Martin Elexpuru wrote a book (in Basque) about the ancient language of Sardinians in which I collaborated with an appendix on the genetics. It's a very clear conclusion that it was (until romanization) a Vasconic language and that we can rather easily interpret much of it based on modern Basque (although it may and should be somewhat more distant than ancient Iberian).
Book (in Basque): www.pamiela.com/index.php/colecciones/euskara/saio/saio-eta-testigantza/euskararen-aztarnak-sardinian-detail
Video presentation (in Basque): czcams.com/video/dVVMKPzP2qk/video.html
An old article of mine on the issue (in English): forwhattheywereweare.blogspot.com/2011/03/paleo-sardinian-language-relative-of.html
Draft version (in Spanish) of my contribution to the book: bagaudaberri.wordpress.com/2016/03/09/origen-de-vascos-sardos-y-demas-europeos-segun-la-genetica-de-poblaciones/
Another acquaintance or rather friend of mine, Dr. Roslyn Frank, has written much about the Sardinian carnival and its extreme similitude with Basque carnival (and I can also find very similar instances in scattered parts of Iberia, notably towards the NW) and also with cultural elements of the Nordalpine region such as the Krampus.
It's all pre-Indoeuropean and Vasconic because the mainline European Neolithic was Vasconic speaker with Sardinian-like genetics (my "Vasconic 1") and the Bell Beaker culture was Vasconic speaker (proto-Basque specifically) with Basque-like or Irish-like genetics. I'm in the process of writing something about it but in Spanish language because I'm not writing in English anymore except for discussions like this one. Several articles can be found at my blog Bagauda (just seaarch for "Vasconic" and use an online translator if you can't read Spanish).
@Anthony Tsatsis - Which evidence? I'm open to whatever evidence shows but AFAIK Alasya was a vassal or satellite of the Hittites and, as Dr. Hitchcock says, some instances of pots for trade do not a colonization make. Obviously Cyprus was inserted in the trade routes of the Bronze Age Mediterranean and even earlier surely in the Chalcolithic, long before Greece itself was Greek (Indoeuropean).
Sea Peoples can't be treated as a single group: there were several waves, even probably later waves that are not documented (but had a major impact devastating Greece and Egypt in the 11th century). The main Sea Peoples wave of c. 1178 BCE was IMO Greek-led and should be an extension of some sort of the Trojan War (not necessarily right away, maybe 10 or 20 years later) but the other listed Sea Peoples are not Greek (excep the Peleset = Pelasgoi who are pre-Indoeuropeans from Greece, probably from Crete). IMO, the Tjeker are Teucrians (Trojans, who might have held the Canaanite port of Dor), the Teresh are Tauresoi = Tyrsenoi = tu-Rasna (proto-Etruscans), the Lukka are of course Lycians (a group of Luwians), the Shekelesh seem a Semitic group, maybe proto-Phoenician pirates (later established in Sicily, where the genetics tend strongly towards Syria), the Weshesh might be Ausonians (pre-Indoeuropean South Italians), archaeologically documented to have raided Greece quite often in that period and the Sherden (only documented in the 1175 secondary wave against core Egypt) are clearly Nuraghic Sardinians, established in the East since a century before.
Now, maybe Mycenaeans had a base or so in Cyprus but I have no evidence for that, I know that they had a base in SW Asia Minor: Miletus (known to the Hittites as Milawanda, a major slave-raiding hub) but that's all I know about overseas Mycenean expansion in Eastern direction around that date. In Western direction we know that they influenced El Argar in SE Iberia (and were influenced by it in the form of tholoi and maybe other cultural loans) between c. 1550-1300 BCE and that was surely related to their need of tin quite notably. The very legends of Hercules in the Far West could fit within that frame, maybe with the destruction horizon c. 1300 BCE (but maybe blaming the Greeks is wrong, no specific evidence points to them other than the legend of Hercules against Geryones). That's approx. also the date when the Sardinians appear in the Eastern Mediterranean and is also the rough date for the Celto-Italic invasions of Urnfield culture (which affect Italy the most but also have a branch heading to Iberia and, while established in the NE also leave a few traces in the SE).
So maybe the Celts destroyed El Argar and that caused alteration in the tin trade routes (contintental routes via Catalonia or SE France now had to go through Celtic-controlled lands) and the only alternative route was sailing to West Iberia, where another civilization could easily control the trade and navigation (in those times almost necessarily coastal, especially in the fiery Ocean). But this comment is already long enough...
Wonderful, Dr Hitchcock. Has anyone stepped into the late Nick Barksdale's shoes yet?
Polymath Emmanuel Velikovsky writes about the Sea People as well as ancient astronomy.
Am I the only one that feels Cyprus looks a lot like the US with New England in the NE and a little Florida peninsula in the SE, a little piece that hangs down in the middle like Brownsville area of Texas and even a chain of mountains about where the Rockies would be?
Maybe if the USA was a lot smaller and fully surrounded by water and did not include Alaska... maybe. Cyprus actually looks like the flag of Cyprus, pretty much.
No, you're not. Its a former British colony. Also, it has the most diverse geology in the Med.
At 2:41, Dr Hitchcock incorrectly states that Cyprus is the largest island in the Mediterranean. Both Sicily and Sardinia are each more than twice as large as Cyprus. Could this mistake be redubbed and corrected?
When the intro music starts 🎶
Hustler for your chanel. You two are adorable. Big love, buddy. Looking good. I've been asking for this material for so long and its like no one found the Minoans important. King Minos of Crete and King Menes of Egypt are almost certainly the same person and no one seems to find that interesting.
To my understanding was Minos a Mycenaen king not an local Minoan king, could be wrong, Menes or Narmer was not Minoan, their cultures and artifacts are not even resembling each other.
@@ueks69 Read more and you'll get there. And you wont be talking back to righter folks than you once you're embarrassed by being wrong. A Minoan king was Mycenean? You didnt even get that right buddy. Crack a book.
@@SisterWomen i have cracked alot of books, i asked a question you answered with an ad hominem, now Narmer or Menes was not Minoan or vice versa. So the whole myth around Theseus and King Minos takes Place in Mycenean Crete around 1200BC far later than the Minoan culture. Your hypothesis that Minos and Menes could be interlinked would actually mean that Pharaoh Namer/Menes who according to the book of Kings in Abydos, ruled ca.3050BC and the myth surronding Theseus and King Minos was from Mycenaen times around 1200BC, that is a timespan of about 1800 years, So instead of trying to sound smart, actual be smart and read a book 😉
@@ueks69 You are so far off that it's not worth it to correct you and readers of this interaction will know that so it's not something I need to concern myself with. If you're not trying to be a butt and you actually want to know, you need to find the labirynth and the white bull. You will find them within the white walls of Menes Nefer. Minos and Menes are etymologically identical when you do your research correctly. You're trying to prove your half baked knowledge right and it's a waste of my time to engage.
@@SisterWomen so you have No answer!!, you are just trying so Sound important, you present a hypothesis without any DATA so serve as fact for your postulate. Minoan culture and Egyptian culture is not the same, I think the First time this myth or fable is written down is after 700BC, since this is when the ancient Greeks started to write down their myths and legends. Now the Palace of Knosses, the First one, was build ca.1950BC that is still 1000 years off from the Egyptian Pharaoh Menes/Narmer, So instead of your cheast beating and your megalomania. Try to respond in a civil way with facts or even something that undermine your hypothesis, because until now you do not Sound very smart, you think you are, but you are really not 😉
I'm a Cypriot. Cyprus is not the largest Island in the Mediterranean sea. It's Sicily is the largest Island. Cyprus Is the third largest Island in the Mediterranean Sea following Sardinia is the second largest Island in the Mediterranean sea. Another correction it's not only Turk and Greek speaking Cypriot. There is also British, Armenia, etc That fled from the coup.
Minoans were related to Egyptian, Libyan and other North African populations. The primary ancestors of both Minoans and Mycenaeans were populations from Neolithic Western Anatolia and Greece.
I don't think the Egyptian priests were in Armana. Wasn't Armana the solar city built by Akhenaten?
*Amarna
And the city name was Akhetaten, amarna is a modern name based on modern name of city "tell El amarna"
I would love to see Dr Hitchcock and Gram Hancock talk to each other
Piracy and trading seems to be of opposing ideas. Moreover copper ingots at sardinia could be value added products with religious or artistic considerations
I stopped watching when "Dr" Hitchcock said that Cyprus is the largest island in the Med. It is the 3rd largest.
I meant East. Sorry you're so pedantic
East Med
It was Luwi settlement
02:42 3. largest island.
....IF you love the Bronze Age COLLAPSE... How funny is it?
You mentioned the mice and Ian but don’t really get specific, why were mice so important? And who the feck was Ian ?who was he but more importantly what was his age ? Like the age-Ian? See?
No wonder it all collapsed in the Bronze Age if the middle terrain of Ian was just the middle he must have been vey important person to have a whole terra-Ian of his own .
Wow ,it’s true, you do learn something new every day.maybe we should send this in to that Dustin guy who does ‘smart arse everyday’he seems real smart ,but is always way too happy so I don’t trust him.
With regards to her Cypriot colleagues and their seeming desire for proof of some kind of Bronze Age Pan Hellenism - nationalism in archaeology seems to be on the increase and is becoming an issue. If you can't keep modern viewpoints and political perpectives out of science, you should not be in science. If you want to witness this is full effect (or have a slight sadist streak) you should do a quick video on the "Indo Aryan migation" to India. Watch in wonder as hard evidence is denied, genetics denied and even archaeology denied. You should probably avoid that one - your comments section would have to be sectioned.
I agree, but it is also important to understand how the past is being used.
@@louisehitchcock6438 Extremely - if we don't understand the abuse you can't combat it.
I mentioned one colleague. Most Greek Cypriots have a more nuanced view. My main point was to illustrate that the past is still relevant
Turkey and Greece are currently barring teeth at eachother once more.
Apparently half the Mediterranean powers are, largely around Libya. For what I can gather there's a proxy war there between France and Egypt on one side and Italy and Turkey on the other. Greece is of course aligned with France, while Morocco may be playing in the hands of Erdogan. Very confusing: hard to find reliable analyses.
It’s unfortunate. Cyprus is my favorite country
@@ashlarblocks - Truly a pity. So far Cyprus seem to be safe, but considering that Erdogan's aggressive politics are splashing all around (Syria, Libya, almost certainly West Africa, the refugee crisis in Greece, and now even the Armenian-Azeri conflict), I suggest you cross the fingers pretty hard.
My favorite country is probably Kurdistan, BTW. Brave men and even braver women.
Cyprus is the 3rd largest island the Mediterranean and is located in the Middle East. Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots are genetically 95% the same. Cypriot Greek is different than modern Greek and both communities don’t share much dna with Greeks or Turks but both have ancestry going back from ancient Cyprus, Venice, Lebanon and other places with a complete different history than Greece but only overlapping several times in history.
8:00
Cyprus is not the largest island in the Med. Sea, it isthe 3rd largest.
Good vid but weird place to end it
Credit where it's due, would recommend! Good video!
Thank you Erik!
Cyprus is bigger than Sicily?
I was referring to the east Med.
Cyprus is the largest island in the Mediterranean?? Um Sicily ever if heard of it?
East
"or some kind of leader who negotiates"???🤣 Where did you get that woman?! It was a KING, king of Aeolians, Hellas -king of mainland Greece (=Elisha), not Cyprus!!
Which Barbarossa is she talking about? The Holy Roman Emperor?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayreddin_Barbarossa
Cyprus is certainly not the the "largest island in the Mediterranean" - it's far smaller than either Sicily or Sardinia. That's a very basic error.
East
Meant the east
Beware of the hand of Nergal
Sounds like you all are saying Wallachia somehow. 🤔😂
I think that'd be 'Wallakya"
Isn't that the old Dracula region?
@@shable1436 Yes indeed, borders have shifted a lot , but right nearby at least.
Excellent, succinct and happily lacking the time consuming and useless speculation that comes with so many presentations like this.
Any interpretation must be linked to evidence and logical argument
I guess the pyramid builders bought their tools.
These letters were found in Cyprus, because it was a trading station of Alashiya (Hellas), not because Cyprus IS Alashiya! Did it ever accur to you???????
They came from Argos because they were Achaens = Kition = Kittim = Macedonians! Thanks for proving my point, old lady. "From the levant" LOL
Yes you are right; the attempt to define the early colony being from ancient greece is greek propaganda.
Fascinating content, well presented. A minor suggestion? Lose the silly hipster ball cap 🧢. It’s a useless distraction.
Nick needs a pirate hat