Bronze Age Collapse · Sea People · Oldest Surviving Melody: Hurrian Hymn No. 6 · Iron Age · Assyrian Empire · Canaan · Origins of Israel and Judah · Legend of the Lost Tribes of Israel · Vedic period · Hinduism · Olmecs · Corn

Browse the main books, articles, lectures, and interviews we relied on to make this episode.

SYNOPSIS

Note: We’ve added links throughout the SYNOPSIS which are not our official sources. We’ve linked pictures, maps, encyclopedia entries, etc for you to enjoy if you want to see the things we are discussing, or get a quick reminder of people, time periods, concepts etc (what is an australopithecine again??). For our official sources check out the BOOKS, ARTICLES, INTERVIEWS, and LECTURE tabs.

In this episode we’ll cover from 1200 to 800 bce. Ellie takes us back to the corner of Afro-Eur-Asia to witness the dramatic close of the bronze age, the rise of a new metal, a new empire, and the origins of a new religion. In India we’ll see a new spiritual movement in Sanskrit, and finally in Mesoamerica our final so-called cradle.

Interconnection of the Mediterranean World and the Bronze Age Collapse

Akkadian became the Lingua Franca of the whole Bronze Age world by the time of the collapse.
King Tut’s widow.

Hurian Hymn number 6 played by Charlie! This oldest surviving melody was found on a tablet in the rubble of Ugarit.
Who built the walls of Troy?
Is the rubble of Megiddo the origin for the world armageddon?
Trojan war.

Neo Assyrian Assyrian Empire

The Assyrian Empire’s brutal propaganda. Examples of imagery here, here and here. Or text here and a third of the way down the page here.
A translation of a portion of the Assyrian law codes. Warning they are quite violent.
Relocation policy.
The story of the 10 lost tribes.

Origin of the Israelites in Canaan

First mention of the word “Israel” is on the Merneptah Stele.
Biblical scholars and Yale Divinity School professors Joel Baden and John J Collins offer brief takes on very early Israelite history.
Omri and his son, Ahab, built and expanded the northern capital in the city of Samaria.
The Israelites have two kingdoms: Israel in the North and Judah in the South.
Hoshea is the last king of Israel.
The story of the 10 lost tribes.

Vedic Period in India

When and where horses were domesticated, and how they contributed to the spread of the Indo-European languages and cultures, is extremely controversial.
Quick history of chariots in the ancient world.
Sanskrit.
Vedas. The text of the Rig Veda in PDF form.
A little more context for the word Aryan including how it was hijacked in the modern world.
Or check out the book Which of Us Are Aryans? for an in depth look from many perspectives on all the controversy surrounding the influx of Vedic culture into India.

Olmecs

San Lorenzo, La Venta, and Tres Zapotes are the three main urban centers of the Olmecs.
Wild teosinte plants compared to domesticated corn/maize. Example, example, example.
- compared to wild emmer vs wheat for example.
The stone heads are perhaps the most recognizable pieces of Olmec art. Example, example, example.
In addition to the iconic heads, thrones were carved form the same volcanic stone.
The Olmec culture is known for its art in general including intricate works in jade. Example, example, example.
The Olmecs are likely the “mother culture” of many leter Meso-American peoples. Here we find the early examples of the ball game, calendar, writing, pyramids, and pantheon that dominate culture here for the next 2000 years.