Phoenicia
By Cheyenne Young
Location
Phoenicia was an ancient civilization comprised of independent city-states which lay along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea stretching through what is now Syria, Lebanon and northern Israel.
Famous Purple Dye
They were famed in Classical Greece and Rome as 'traders in purple', referring to their monopoly on the precious purple dye of the Murex snail.
Language
The Phoenician alphabet was one of the first alphabets with a strict and consistent form.The Greeks adopted the majority of these letters but changed some of them to vowels which were significant in their language, giving rise to the first true alphabet.
Trade
The Phoenicians were among the greatest traders of their time and owed much of their prosperity to trade. At first, they traded mainly with the Greeks, trading wood, salves, glass and powdered Tyrian purple(see famous purple dye).
Religion
Phoenician religion was polytheistic and their gods required continual sacrifices to forestall disaster.No significant Phoenician temple has yet been discovered, but most of their ancient cities lie buried under modern cities.
Art
Phoenician artisans were skilled in wood, ivory, and metalworking, as well as textile production.Phoenician art served many purposes which include religious, trade or others but was meant to appeal to a visual impact and communicate ideas.