Soru

Passage A
The catastrophic collapse of Late Bronze Age civilizations around 1200 BCE was not a slow, systemic decay but a sudden, violent dislocation. Archaeological evidence of widespread destruction layers across the Eastern Mediterranean points to a singular, devastating catalyst: the invasions of the "Sea Peoples." These highly militarized, seafaring confederations disrupted vital maritime trade networks and systematically sacked key palatial centers, such as Ugarit and Mycenae. The sheer speed and scale of the ruins indicate that these external invaders overwhelmed state defenses, fracturing the interconnected palatial economies of the era. To attribute this collapse to gradual climate shifts or internal administrative failures is to ignore the stark physical evidence of fire, warfare, and foreign weaponry that abruptly brought an end to this prosperous era.

Passage B
While traditional narratives credit the mysterious "Sea Peoples" with the fall of the Bronze Age, this explanation mistakes a symptom for the disease. Palatial economies were highly centralized and fragile, relying on absolute political stability to maintain complex trade. Close examination of historical records suggests a prolonged period of severe drought and crop failures preceded the collapse. This environmental crisis triggered widespread famine, peasant rebellions, and the eventual disintegration of central authority. The migrating groups later termed the "Sea Peoples" were likely displaced refugees fleeing their own collapsing regions, rather than an organized invading army. They did not cause the collapse; rather, they exploited the political vacuum left behind by states that had already buckled under internal ecological and economic stress.

Based on the passages, the authors of Passage A and Passage B disagree most strongly on which of the following questions?