When Troy fell (around 1,250 BC) fugitives from there crossed the Taurus Mountains to Syria and Palestine. Also, with the subsequent fall of Mycenaean Greece, their previous vassals and buffer states were free to travel, and some of these “Mycenaean” people moved southeast with their families into North Syria. Others moved to Cyprus. So the Sea People were mainly early Hellenic racial groups originated in the Aegean Islands, Troy and South West Anatolia, and displaced Greeks and Thracians. They comprised a number of different tribes including the Shekelesh, Tjeker, Denyen, Washesh, Sherden and Peleset, all looking for better prospects and attracted by the successful countries in Canaan and especially Egypt. Some of these tribes had fought the Egyptians previously alongside the Libyans and Hittites. Their land army brought along their women and children, as they were looking for a new homeland. They also had a fleet of ships that kept pace with the army. There are reports in Hittite records that fleets of ships were seen offshore of Cyprus and the Syrian Coast. The Hittites started to be pushed out of West Anatolia, leading to the destruction of Hattusas and the eventual collapse of the Hittite Empire. They attacked Ugarit by land and sea and their last archives on clay tablets were found in the kilns partially fired. Some Cypriot and Syrian towns were levelled and never rebuilt. The Phoenician cities were attacked and Sidon partly destroyed. It was later rebuilt, but many people moved to Tyre.

The Sea People continued south, and attacked Egypt, where the army of Ramesses III repelled them. In particular the Egyptian bowmen shot the enemy down in large numbers at a distance, so they were unable to use their iron swords effectively. The Sea People retreated north and settled in various countries including Phoenicia, Sicily and Cyprus, and individual tribes settled in places they gave their names to, for example, the Sherden were pirates who founded Sardinia, the Peleset became the Philistines and subsequently the Palestinians, and others founded Sicily and Etruria. Confirmation that Mycenaean Greeks, who were already good sailors, were also represented in the inward migration of Sea People comes from these maritime skills suddenly increasing in the Phoenicians.

9.16 Phoenicians “after the Sea People”

Ryton in bull form 1,300-1,225 BC -
Guzelyurt Archaeological Museum

There is some debate regarding Phoenician indigenous pottery as so much passed through its ports as trade, and may subsequently have been copied by Phoenician potters. For example a rhyton (ritual pouring vessel) shaped as a bull with its nose as spout and a loop handle over its back, having a buff body and black and white decoration was found in Jerusalem. It is dated to 1,200 BC, was made in Cyprus and doubtless passed through a Phoenician port.

It has been estimated that there are 30 million pottery sherds at Tyre alone, with some small figures, shallow bowls and stamp seals. The Sea People brought with them a distinctive pottery style; made locally but closely related to Mycenaean, namely brown on black. Around 1,000-900 BC Phoenician pottery was predominantly a new wheel-made, bichrome style black on red, probably a local development, but also known as Cypro-Phoenician ware as it is not certain which of the two countries originated it, although it is possible that this Phoenician style pottery was exported to Cyprus some 200 years earlier. The body was made from well-levigated clay, slipped red or orange, carefully burnished and painted with thin black horizontal lines, bands and concentric circles.

Amonite perfume flask 800 BC
- courtesy Ifergan Collection

Phoenician bowl - source University of
Pennsylvania Museum

Phoenician pottery vessels were noted for the delicately made fine wares, refinement of shape, and striking geometric decoration. There are single-handled neck-ridged juglets with flaring lips and flat bases. These appear to have originated in this area earlier as perfume containers and then been copied by others; they may also have been used to contain opium.

They were eventually replaced by Greek aryballos. There are also distinctively shaped wine jars, large shallow and deep bowls with two horizontal loop handles and flat bases as well as votive statues. Before 800 BC they introduced a buff body with black painted decoration, then with both black and red. There was also a red slipped ware with black and white paint and another with white or cream slip decorated in black or red/brown paint. Recently a number of special earthenware pots was discovered dated to 900 to 700 BC, made to contain the ashes from cremations.