Editing 2nd millennium BC (section)

===Late Bronze Age===
The people in place were quick to adapt to the new tactics, and a new international situation resulted from the change. Though during most of the second half of the 2nd millennium BC several regional powers competed relentlessly for hegemony, many developments occurred: there was new emphasis on grandiose architecture, new clothing fashions, vivid diplomatic correspondence on [[clay tablet]]s, renewed economic exchanges, and the [[New Kingdom of Egypt|New Kingdom]] of Egypt played the role of the main [[superpower]]. Among the great states of the time, only [[Babylon]] refrained from taking part in battles, mainly due to its new position as the world's religious and intellectual capital.

The [[Bronze Age]] civilization at its final period of time, displayed all its characteristic social traits: low level of urbanization, small cities centered on temples or royal palaces, strict separation of classes between an illiterate mass of peasants and craftsmen, and a powerful military [[elite]], knowledge of writing and education reserved to a tiny minority of [[scribe]]s, and pronounced [[aristocracy|aristocrat]]ic life.

Near the end of the 2nd millennium BC, new waves of [[barbarian]]s, this time riding on horseback, wholly destroyed the Bronze Age world, and were to be followed by waves of social changes that marked the beginning of different times. Also contributing to the changes were the [[Sea Peoples]], ship-faring raiders of the Mediterranean.