The Phoenicians were Mediterranean traders, active between 1500 and 300 BC. They founded the cities of Sidon and Tyre on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, in modern-day Lebanon. They were descended from the ancient Canaanites, and became known as Phoenicians, from the Greek word phoinos, which means red, after the reddish-purple dye they traded. The Phoenicians founded city-states, each of which was independent but might enter into alliances with others.

Glass and cloth

The Phoenicians made beautiful glass items, such as beads and vases, from sand. They also wove fine wool and linen, which they dyed with a reddish-purple dye made from the crushed shells a local type of sea snail, called murex. This famous Tyrian cloth, named after their city of Tyre, was one of the most popular Phoenician exports.

Traders

After around 1400 BC, the Phoenicians began to explore the Mediterranean Sea, looking for new lands to trade with. Examples of their ivory carvings, glassware, jewellery and metalwork have been found all over the Mediterranean lands. As well as exporting goods, they sailed off in search of raw materials, such as metals, linen and ivory, even travelling around the west coast of Africa.

Many Phoenician exports came from the natural resources of their land. Cedars and pine trees grew in the mountains and these could be exported to lands such as Egypt, where wood was scarce. The trees also provided precious oils for export.

Ships

The Phoenicians were skilful and daring sailors for their time. They built fast warships to escort their merchant ships on trading voyages. These warships had a square sail and two banks of oarsmen. They were made from the wood of cedar trees that grew in their homeland. For their trading activities, Phoenicians relied on their sturdy seagoing cargo ships, called hippoi, as well as their own expert seamanship.

By 1050 BC the Phoenicians had developed an alphabet. It contained just 18 letters, all of which were consonants. The Phoenician alphabet later formed the basis of the modern alphabets used by the Greeks and Romans, as well as Hindi, Hebrew and Arabic.

The Phoenicians dominated the Mediterranean during the 1st millennium BC. They established many prosperous colonies. In 814 BC, they founded Carthage, a city in what is now Tunisia, North Africa. According to legend, the city was founded by Queen Dido who bought from a local tribe the amount of land that could be covered by an oxhide (which she cut into strips). Commanding the narrow neck of the Mediterranean Sea between Sicily and the coast of Africa, Carthage quickly expanded into a powerful state, equipped with a well-trained army.