• ~1100 – 800 BC
• Mycenaean Civilization collapsed rapidly and systematically
  • Not only in Greece, most major bronze age civilizations collapsed at this time (see late bronze age collapse)
• Possible theories for the collapse
  • Drought
  • Internal revolt
  • Economic disruption
    • Some economist say the economy was so fragile that with the arrival of the sea seoples it collapsed
  • Invasion
    • Dorian invasion used to be a popular theory
      • There’s little evidence for any kind of massive invasion, though
• Theories for why did the dark ages took so long
  • Difficult agriculture required maintenance
  • Population control
    • Small population are beneficial for migrating