Greek Dark Ages

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The Greek Dark Ages (c. 1200-800 BC), were earlier regarded as two continuous periods of Greek history: The first the Postpalatial Bronze Age (c. 1200-1050 BC),^[1] the second currently known as Prehistoric Iron Age or Early Iron Age (c. 1050-800 BC), which included all the ceramic phases from the Protogeometric to the Middle Geometric I,^[1] lasting until the beginning of the Protohistoric Iron Age around 800 BC.^[2][3] Currently, the term Greek Dark Ages is being abandoned, and both periods are not considered "obscure."

At the beginning of the Postpalatial Bronze Age, the so-called Late Bronze Age collapse of civilisation in the Eastern Mediterranean world in c. 1200-1150 took place, as the great palaces and cities of the Mycenaeans were destroyed or abandoned. At around the same time, the Hittite civilization also suffered serious disruption, with cities from Troy to Gaza being destroyed. In Egypt, the New Kingdom fell into disarray, leading to the Third Intermediate Period of Egypt. Following the collapse, there were fewer, smaller settlements, suggesting widespread famine and depopulation. In Greece, the Linear B script used by Mycenaean bureaucrats to write the Greek language ceased to be used, and the Greek alphabet did not develop until the beginning of the Protohistoric Iron Age, c. 800 BC.^[4] The decoration on Greek pottery after about 1050 BC lacks the figurative decoration of Mycenaean ware and is restricted to simpler, generally geometric styles (1050–700 BC).