Phoenicia
By Anthony V. And Sophia G.
Intro to Phoenicia
Cities, Social Structure, and Religion
Cities: Phoenician cities were Tyre,which was the Capitol from 1000 BCE to 333 BCE also provided space and shelter for shipping,and Byblos wich is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. Other important cities were Tripoli in present day Libya, and Cathrage in present day Tunisia.
Social structure:They people called themselves Phoenicians based on the area they settled in. Phoenicia was also the home of a large number of Caananities mentioned in the bible.the main occupations were Sailors, Merchants,and Craftsmen. The Phoenician people were ruled under the power of a king.
Religion: The Phoenicians were said to have worshipped deities which they called Baal(lords) and Baalats(goddesses) making them polytheistic.The Phoenicians had rituals such as sacrificing animals and their children at stone altars.
Government, System of Writing, and Technology
System of writing:The Phoenicians transmitted the alphabet to the Greek world. The Phoenician language was Semitic, but it is presumed that contact with Phoenicians led Greek speakers to adopt the alphabet for their own use and to their own language. transmitted the alphabet to the Greek world.
Technology:Build ships with a keeled hull. This allowed them to sail the open seas, and as a result, the Phoenicians developed a flourishing sea trade.
Artifacts
Picture 2: this is a tomb stone or sarcophagus found in the ancient city of Sidon.
Picture 3: a Phoenician ship that was carved into what was left of a sarcophagus