The iconic reliefs at Abu Simbel showing Ramesses at Kadesh include warriors identifiable by their distinctive round shields and horned helmets — equipment that has been associated with the Shardana.

This means that the Shardana were not simply external enemies who appeared suddenly during the collapse period.

They had been in contact with Egypt for decades before the collapse, serving in Egyptian armies, learning Egyptian military methods, and presumably accumulating knowledge of Egyptian geography, politics, and vulnerabilities.

The shift from mercenary service to raiding or migration was not a simple transition from friendship to enmity; it was a complex change in the economic and political conditions that had made mercenary service attractive.

A similar pattern may apply to other Sea Peoples groups.