The Sea Peoples
They included well-attested groups such as the Lukka and Peleset, as well as others such as the Weshesh whose origins are unknown. The term 'Sea People' is a modern coinage, and is often regarded as a misnomer since most of them appear to have travelled by land. The modern concept of the Sea People originates in the work of the 19th-century Egyptologists Emmanuel de Rougé and Gaston Maspero, who drew on primary texts such as the reliefs on the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III at Medinet Habu.
- Region
- Egypt and Eastern Mediterranean
- Known groups
- Lukka, Peleset, Weshesh, Sherden, Teresh, Shekelesh, Ekwesh
- Primary sources
- Medinet Habu inscriptions, Tanis Stele II, Great Karnak Inscription
- Historical role
- Raiders and migrants, often linked to Bronze Age Collapse
Lore & Background
Greene, as an interpretation of the battles of Ramesses III described on the Second Pylon at Medinet Habu, based upon recent photographs of the temple by John Beasley Greene. De Rougé noted that 'in the crests of the conquered peoples the Sherden and the Teresh bear the designation of the peuples de la mer (Sea Peoples)'. Maspero built upon de Rougé's work and published The Struggle of the Nations, describing the theory of the seaborne migrations in detail for a wider audience.
Reader's Guide
The Sea Peoples are significant primarily as a modern historical concept derived from Egyptian inscriptions, particularly those at Medinet Habu. In early scholarship, they were often regarded as a primary cause of the Bronze Age Collapse, but recent work tends to view them as refugees fleeing a crisis already in motion. The historical narrative stems from seven Ancient Egyptian sources, with the Medinet Habu inscriptions remaining the basis of virtually all significant discussions. The term 'Sea Peoples' is commonly used in modern publications to refer to nine peoples, though the designation 'of the sea' does not appear in relation to all of them in the original texts. Their legacy lies in how they illustrate the challenges of interpreting ancient migration and conflict, and how scholarly views have shifted from seeing them as invaders to seeing them as victims of broader collapse.
Did You Know?
- The term 'Sea People' is a modern coinage and is often regarded as a misnomer since most of them appear to have travelled by land.
- The Sherden, one of the Sea Peoples, were captured by Ramesses II and later incorporated into the Egyptian army, fighting at the Battle of Kadesh.
- The Merneptah Stele from Thebes describes the reign of peace resulting from Merneptah's victory but does not include any reference to the Sea Peoples.
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