The Late Bronze Age (1600-1200/1100 BCE), marked by a new Egyptian empire, culminated in a widespread collapse around 1200 BCE.  This "Bronze Age Collapse" affected interconnected civilizations across the Eastern Mediterranean, including the Hittites and Mycenaeans.  The flourishing Mycenaean cities (Pylos, Mycenae, Tiryns, Iolkos, Gla, Orchomenos, Thebes, and Athens) were destroyed within a century, resulting in widespread abandonment and depopulation (Vermeule, 1964; Desborough, 1975).  The collapse, characterized by societal upheaval, economic decline, and mass migrations, is attributed to various factors: climatic shifts, environmental degradation, technological changes, internal revolts, and invasions (e.g., the Sea Peoples). While the Eastern Mediterranean impact is well-documented, North Africa's experience, including Egypt's transition from the New Kingdom to the Third Intermediate Period following significant turmoil, requires further research.