we see a similar situation in tiryns in 1200 bc when an earthquake destroyed much of the city including its palace. it is likely however that the city continued to be inhabited for some time following the earthquake. as a result there is a general agreement that earthquakes did not permanently destroy mycenae or tiryns because physical destruction cannot fully explain the collapse. the cause of the continued decline of these sites could be environmental. in particular there was a lack of homegrown food. palaces were important in managing and storing food imports. their destruction made worse the more crucial factor of food shortage. the importance of trade is further supported by the lack of any evidence for violent or sudden decline in mycenae.