3.4 THE

PHOENICIANS

THE PHOENICIAN PEOPLE

The Phoenician civilization began on the border of the Fertile Crescent

On the coast of the Mediterranean Sea

It was made up of city-states like Sumer

THE PHOENICIAN PEOPLE

The Phoenician People Sailors Traded goods all

around the Mediterranean Sea

Dominated trade in the region

The Phoenician People Origins

Developed in Canaan Frequently Egypt ruled Canaan When Egyptian rule ended around 1150 BC Phoenician city-states

emerged City-states were ruled by priest-kings and leading merchant

families or an assembly

THE PHOENICIAN PEOPLE

THE PHOENICIAN PEOPLE The Phoenician People

Farming and Manufacturing The Lebanon Mountains meant there was little flat

land for farming Phoenicians were famous for making purple cloth

The dye was made from snails It was a very highly sought trade itemThey also made pottery, glass and metal objects

Used the trees from the mountains to make wood objects like furniture

THE PHOENICIAN PEOPLE Phoenician Traders traded with others to get the natural resources

they didn’t have Imported many items like:

GoldSilverTinCopperIronIvoryPrecious stones

THE PHOENICIAN PEOPLE

The Phoenician People Phoenician Traders

Manufactured these items into other goods to export like:Bronze and silver bowlsIron tools and weaponsGold jewelry

THE PHOENICIAN PEOPLE The Phoenician People

Phoenician Traders Also exported some of their own natural resources like:

Pine and cedar logsWineOlive oilSalt fish

THE PHOENICIAN PEOPLE Phoenicians and the Sea

Location was the key Close to Africa, and Europe At the end of the Asian land

trade routes Mediterranean people

depended on the Phoenician traders

THE PHOENICIAN PEOPLE Phoenicians and the Sea

Navigation Became expert navigators Sailors knew the trade winds and sea currents

1st people to use the North Star for navigation Used the North Star to determine location

How does this relate to Latitude?

THE PHOENICIAN PEOPLE Phoenicians and the Sea

Navigation Became expert navigators Sailors knew the trade winds

and sea currents 1st people to use the North Star

for navigation Used the North Star to

determine location How does this relate to Latitude?

THE PHOENICIAN PEOPLE Phoenicians and the Sea

Navigation Exploring Unknown Waters

Sailed west along North Africa And along southern Europe Made it all the way to Iberia (Spain and

Portugal today) Passing Iberia put them into the Atlantic

Ocean Britain to the north West Africa to the south

THE PHOENICIAN PEOPLE

Phoenicians and the Sea Navigation

Why did they do this? Obtained metals like silver for cheap Traded it to Greece and Asia for a huge

profit

THE PHOENICIAN PEOPLE Phoenicians and the Sea

Colonies and City-states Many places along the Mediterranean coast were good for harbors Some of these had fertile lands nearby Phoenician farmers began to settle in these spots These became colonies When Phoenicia was attacked by the Assyrians many Phoenicians

migrated to the colonies

THE PHOENICIAN PEOPLE Phoenicians and the Sea

Colonies and City-states Some of these colonies became powerful city-

states One, Carthage would battle Rome for supremacy

of the Mediterranean Rome would win and completely destroy

Carthage

THE PHOENICIAN PEOPLE Legacy of the Phoenicians

The Greeks and the Romans absorbed some of the Phoenician ways This is cultural diffusion Spread of Culture

Because the Phoenicians traded all over the Mediterranean they also spread

their ideas, beliefs, ways of dress, technology, etc. --------CULTURE They also spread the culture of other peoples When the Phoenicians disappeared some of their ideas stayed Greeks used their weights and measures The Greek culture then spread to other places

THE PHOENICIAN PEOPLE Legacy of the Phoenicians

The Alphabet The #1 legacy of the Phoenicians Replaced cuneiform 22 symbols – each for a consonant sound Much easier to remember than hundreds of symbols (Chinese has over

5000) If you traded with the Phoenicians you had to learn the system Greeks later added the vowels Around 100BC the Romans adopted the system – this is basically our

alphabet today