This video summaries significant defining characteristics of the Bronze Age in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea and the Fertile Crescent of the Middle East between 3,300 BC and 1,200 BC.

Following are points made in the video:

— The Sumerian civilization in Mesopotamia became powerful at around 3,300 BC due to the introduction of Bronze smelting technology.

— Bronze was originally made using arsenic, but an improved method of creating it was discovered through combining 90% copper with 10% tin, however tin was a difficult resource to acquire.

— Vast trade networks developed in the Middle East where food was grown to be traded for the raw materials that were needed for creating Bronze.

— Regions in the area of Mesopotamia continually fought with and subjugated each other during this time.

— A sophisticated civilization of the Minoans arose on the Greek island of Crete, and it was destroyed by a volcano and tsunami at around 1,600 BC, leading to the island being administered by the Greek region of the Mycenaeans which became wealthy due to exporting olive oil.

— Wood was a scarce resource in that part of the world, where it was initially supplied from forests that existed in Lebanon, and later it was exported from Anatolia, which is present-day Turkey.

— The Hittites in Anatolia became powerful due to exporting wood, and in 1595 BC they sacked and plundered Babylon and then returned home, leaving Mesopotamia devastated and leading to centuries of wars for power in that region.

— Egypt had a period of weakness around 1,300 BC, leading to the Hittites gaining power in Mesopotamia.

— Egypt then regained its strength and clashed with the Hittites at the Battle of Kadesh in 1274 BC, which is the first battle in recorded history where the actual strategies were known.

— The “Bronze Age Collapse” then happened at around 1,200 BC which brought widespread famine and pestilence and a “dark age” throughout the entire region.  The collapse happened for a number of reasons including environmental factors as well as due to the civilizations in the area being sacked by a mysterious horde of “Sea Peoples.”