Among the latest of these tablets are several that describe a military crisis in Ugarit’s final years.

In one, the king of Alashiya (Cyprus) writes to the king of Ugarit that “enemies have come from the sea… the towns are destroyed, and fire is set… you must know!” In another, the king of Ugarit writes to the king of Alashiya describing that “ships of the enemy have come… the land of Ugarit is now helpless.” In yet another, a general describes enemy ships captured and destroyed.

These tablets were found in a kiln, apparently being fired for storage when the city was destroyed.

The drama of their discovery — letters never delivered, preserved by the fire that destroyed the city — has made them iconic representations of the Bronze Age Collapse.