During the Late Bronze Age, Europe went through massive change with the rise of the Urnfield culture and the collapse of the eastern Mediterranean civilizations of Mycenae and Hittites.

Around 1300 BC, the method of burial changed - People began to burn bodies of the deceased, and enclosed ashes into ceramic urns. The urn was placed with jewelry and personal items into a small grave pit within a cemetery. That's why this period in Europe, that lasted to about 800 BC, is also called the Urnfield culture period.

This urn burial spread from the eastern Carpathians and the Danube region and eventually covered a major part of Europe. This demonstrates that beside the wide trade networks, the people were also connected by similar spiritual beliefs. There is no doubt that this is a reflection of massive social changes in Europe, as well as the shift in the outlook on the world and the afterlife.

The latter is also demonstrated by ornamented items that depict chariots or ships that are dragged by waterbirds. This "sunship bird" motif was common on bronzework of the time, especially in northern and central Europe. It could represent the cycle of day, seasons, astral movements, as well as the departure of souls in the afterlife. The people of the Urnfield culture were also masters of metallurgy and pottery.

The social changes are connected with great migrations of that time, which were connected with the spread of Indo-European languages. The most famous, but not limited to, are the so-called Sea Peoples. These ravaged across eastern Mediterranean and were in large part responsible for the decline of many great civilizations of the time: Mycenae, Hittite, and many prosperous city-states. In a span of a century, between 1250 and 1150 BC, the entire structure of civilizations, exchange and diplomacy between them was shattered.

The origins of these sea peoples vary and are not fully clear to this day, especially the degree of their connection and unity. It probably went for many different ethnicities, tribes and societies, spreading from Corsica and Sardinia, to wider Syria.

Besides the massive migrations, the decline of great civilizations of the time is probably connected with long dry seasons, famine and earthquakes, as well as internal conflicts.

Though small ripples of the events in the eastern Mediterranean reached further into Europe, these had minimal immediate effect and the time of late bronze age marks a time of sustained development. Besides the Urnfield culture, Nordic and Atlantic systems developed, while the Phoenicians and Greeks built on the rubbles of collapsed preceding civilizations, and spread their own influence.

Another example of large migrations are the Cimmerians - horsemen of the steppe that moved from their homeland north of the black sea to escape changing climate and invading Scythians.

All these new communities already bear the first traces of customs that would identify the later cultures. Of course, they would continue to develop during the iron age, but even during this period, we can talk about the so-called proto-Venetii, proto-Illyrians and even proto-Celtic communities, due to more-or-less continuous settlement and preserved customs through the centuries.

The large quantities of weapons circulating in Europe, as well as offerings of equipment from defeated foes and depictions of warriors might give an impression that the continent was in the state of a constant war. And though conflicts were not a rare occasion, this was not the case on a large and total scale like modern warfare. Late Bronze Age societies were led by warrior elites, who had to display their mastery and ability not only with their carried equipment, but in action too. This meant regular skirmishes, raiding and expanding borders and influence.

Material gains were certainly a big part of it, but battles and adventures were a great way to prove oneself in search of glory. Ancient stories like the Iliad and the Odyssey give us a small insight into the desire of these warriors of heroic journey and fame.

It was the universal acceptance of these social values and the supporting material culture, combined with trade, gift-exchange and local diplomacy, that gave this period in Europe an appearance of stability, despite migrations and the decline of great civilizations.


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