00:00 The late Bronze Age was a time of interconnectedness, trade, and political stability, with states spanning from Greece to Iran.

05:01 The late Bronze Age was characterized by a coherent and interconnected system of states with defined political hierarchies, administration, territorial boundaries, and the application of force, forming a great powers club with long-term relationships, strategic interactions, and shared norms of behavior, but this interconnectedness also meant that what happened in one state had a direct effect on others, leading to ripple effects and the collapse of both individual states and the system as a whole.

09:08 The palaces in the Late Bronze Age were large and lavish buildings that served as the anchor points for international trade and communication, and while there is evidence of centralized control and economic activity within the palaces, scholars have moved away from the view that these states were highly centralized.

13:21 The palaces in the Late Bronze Age played a key role in high-value trade, which was essential to the wealth and power of the political units ruled from the palaces, giving them prestige, weapons, and connections to other important people in the late Bronze Age world.

18:05 The Hittite Empire, consisting of a tight-knit group of Hittite-speaking nobles ruling over diverse and fractious lands, constantly engaged in power struggles and campaigns to maintain control and prestige, rather than seeking to conquer territory.

22:16 The Kingdom of Mitanni's power declined after 1350 BC, with the Hittites and Assyrians stripping away its territories, leaving only a rump state called Hanigalbat, and the Assyrians eventually becoming the main power in the region north of Mesopotamia.

26:32 Babylonia was the most urbanized and densely populated part of the Late Bronze Age world, and whoever controlled this region would be a major political player; the Cassite dynasty took control of Babylonia in 1595 BC and by the 14th century BC, they were in regular contact with other great powers in the region.

31:28 The late Bronze Age world incentivized and demanded closer cooperation and competition between major powers due to the scale of trade, larger and more sophisticated states, and the desire for greater resources and power.

35:24 The region of Western Anatolia was a patchwork of small and unstable states, with the Hittites maintaining control but facing constant challenges from Arzawa, the Mycenaeans, and the Lycians, while in Syria and the Levant, despite the lack of unity, it was well worth controlling due to the major east-west trade routes and the valuable trade goods that passed through.

39:25 The Battle of Kadesh in 1274 BC between the Hittite king Muftali and the Egyptian ruler Ramaziz II was a massive clash involving around 5,000 to 6,000 chariots and over 50,000 soldiers, resulting in a bloody and inconclusive draw.

43:31 The long-term treaty between the Hittites and Egyptians ended hostilities, secured their southern border, and maintained the flow of copper and tin, but the Hittite Empire still fell apart due to the Assyrians and the Bronze Age collapse.