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Trade and Culture in Ancient Canaan and Phoenicia

Explore the rich history of Canaan and the influential Phoenician civilization, known for trade, colonization, and cultural developments. Discover their cities, gods, alphabet, and maritime prowess.

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Trade and Culture in Ancient Canaan and Phoenicia

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  1. Ancient Canaan & The Phoenicians

  2. Canaan Lies at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea, in an area shared today by Lebanon & Israel. • In ancient times, this area connected Egypt and Mesopotamia • Soldiers, shepherds, and merchants transported goods & ideas Two groups formed small kingdoms in this land: • Phoenicians and Hebrews • Both groups interested in trade & learning

  3. The Phoenicians (est @ 1830 B.C.E.) Most information comes from: • The Bible • writings of other ancient peoples • the ruins of their ships and cities

  4. Two different groups: Canaanites • from the desert south & east of Canaan • wandering herders Philistines • eastern Mediterranean near Greece • traders & shipbuilders

  5. Sea-Based Trade • Land could not grow enough food for all people, so Phoenicians turned to the sea • Used cedar wood to build strong, fast ships • Sea-based trade • Traded: cedar logs, cloth, glass trinkets, perfume • For items such as: Egypt: gold & other metals, papyrus, linen Mesopotamia: pottery Cyprus: copper & animal hides

  6. Phoenician Trade Routes

  7. Used the sun & stars for navigation • Signed peace treaties with larger & more powerful neighbors

  8. Cities of Phoenicia • Phoenicia was a collection of independent city-states- it never became a united country. • Largest city-states were: Tyre, Byblos, Beirut, and Sidon • Spoke the same language & practiced the same religion, but did not always get along • Ruled by kings, then councils of merchants

  9. City structure: • surrounded by large stone wall for protection • many merchant & artisan shops (esp carpenters, cabinet-makers, metalworkers) • Very crowded: narrow streets & packed buildings • Ports located outside the walls were the center of all activity

  10. Cloth-dying centers • Phoenician means “purple merchants” • Legend of Melqart

  11. Carthage • Sailors set up trading posts & colonies (permanent settlements) that later turned into cities along coast of N. Africa • Carthage founded in 814 B.C.E. in present-day Tunisia • Became a powerful trading city • Legend of the Phoenician princess Dido

  12. Gods & Goddesses • Believed in many gods who were tied closely to nature • Built temples to worship • entrance, main hall, and holy of holies • made sacrifices of wine, perfume, animals, and humans • only priests could offer sacrifices • Life after death • at first buried in clay urns (ornamental vases) • later influenced by Egyptians: embalmed, wrapped, buried bodies

  13. The Alphabet • Phoenicians did not invent the alphabet, but they did pass it on through trade to other cultures • Used picture system at first, but difficult for trading • Borrowed a simple version of Egyptian hieroglyphics from the people of the Canaanite towns to the south • 22 symbols or letters used to form words • Borrowed & evolved: Phoenicians to Greeks to Romans… eventually English!

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