The Contributions of the Phoenicians To humanity are very varied and were of great importance for the development and evolution of the civilizations of that time.
The Phoenicians were an ancient civilization composed of independent cities and states that stretched along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea between the years 1,500 BC and 300 BC.
Included was the coastline that today corresponds to Lebanon, northern Israel, Gaza, Syria and southwestern Turkey. Its vast territory ran from the mouth of the river Orontes in the north, to the bay of Haifa in the south.
Although the Phoenicians as a civilization did not survive, many of their achievements remained over time.
Greece, Rome , And many other civilizations, absorbed key elements of the Phoenicians in a process known as cultural diffusion, through which many cultural traits were diffused from one region to another.
Main contributions of the Phoenicians to humanity
This is a short list of seven of the Phoenician's most important contributions to humanity:
1- Alphabet and writing
Many are the historians who defend that the Phoenicians invented the alphabet, while others debate this idea.
Irrespective of this, the contribution of these to the development and propagation of the same was extremely critical, and this being considered the most important contribution of the Phoenicians.
The Phoenician alphabet originally consisted of a simple writing system consisting of 24 phonemic signs.
When the Phoenicians began to use the alphabet as an easy and simple way to follow up their shops, it was exposed to every place they visited.
Taking into account that money and wealth were factors involved in the matter, many were motivated to learn this system.
This method proved to be much better than previous methods, so it started to be used by many people and in many different languages. He had given so much impetus that he could not stop.
The Greeks and many other cultures adopted the Phoenician alphabet and added their own improvements, such as vowels. From this came the writing and all that this entails.
2- Industry, commerce and the use of the currency
During that time commerce was not common. Nevertheless, the Phoenicians manufactured and traded an immense quantity of products, like wood, stones, metals, fabrics, glasses, jewels, ceramics and more.
They were great promoters of the industry, as for example the textile industry, where they stood out with their cloths stained of a purple color. They stood out with the production of metals, ceramics and handicrafts, as well as glass products.
Due to the great availability of materials such as wood, they pioneered designs and carpentry products, producing furniture, ships and ships that would serve as examples and inspiration for the development of the maritime field.
Their trade was luxury, which gave them presence along the Mediterranean, the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic. This allowed the development of the economy of various civilizations.
Initially, they traded by barter. Once the currency was invented, they adapted this revolutionary medium of commerce, and, as they managed to reach a large number of ports and regions, they were able to expand its use.
3- Architecture and engineering
The Phoenicians stood out for their knowledge and architectural and engineering innovations. They were able to build bridges, dikes, harbors and buildings up to six stories high, which was a milestone for the time and served as inspiration for future constructions.
Walled cities, temples, and carriages are also among his best-known works. The great commercial success is due, in part, to the ability and ability to build great innovative boats.
4- Navigation
Gra And to the immense amount of material they had available, such as wood, because of their geographic location, stood out in the area of shipbuilding.
They made technical improvements that made it possible to navigate long routes, becoming masters of navigation, this being one of the reasons why trade prospered.
They became masters of the seas, which is why they had no growing interest in occupying or gaining new lands.
5- Policy
Something that characterized the Phoenicians were their assemblies and councils, these being the pillars of their political system. Likewise, they practiced thalassocracy, which is an orientation of the government focused on the control of the seas.
This political system based on assemblies where extensive deliberations took place, together with debates, which concluded in agreements on crucial issues, was the forerunner of democracy as we know it today.
6- Science and Literature
The Phoenicians wrote large quantities of literary material that contributed to the development of the general science and culture of the time.
Dictionaries, foreign language manuals, vocabularies, administrative, legal and commercial literature, as well as navigation charts are just a few examples.
They even wrote scientific texts based on mathematics, astronomy, physics, medicine, and other branches. Likewise, religious and philosophical themes were also the focus of his literary works.
7- Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries
The Phoenicians settled in many places, and in each of them they left a mark of their daily activities.
For example, they propagated the practice of cultivating vine, wheat and barley. Also the production of different wines, beer and dairy. Also, they were showing their usual production of bread and salads of meat and fish.
In spite of all the very varied and important contributions of the Phoenicians to humanity, these, as a civilization, are not as well known as other civilizations of antiquity.
This is because they failed to form a vast or extremely rich empire, such as the empire of the Assyrians, Akkadians, Romans or the Persian Empire.
Because of this, much of its cultural wealth was lost over time. Even so, all his contributions were key points in the development of human civilization as we know it today.
References
- Joshua J. Mark (2009) Phenicia. Ancient History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from ancient.eu.
- Phenicia. (S.f.) In Wikipedia. Retrieved on July 3, 2017 from en.wikipedia.org.
- Phenicia (s.f.) In Wikipedia. Retrieved on July 3, 2017 from es.wikipedia.org.
- Nicole (2014) Phoenician Legacy. Because I Love Sand. Recovered from becauseilovesand.com.
- Phoenician Alphabet. (2017) Phoenicians. Retrieved from phoenician.org.
- The Phenicia (2010) Universal History. Retrieved from historialuniversal.com.
- Phoenician alphabet (s.f.) Wikipedia. Retrieved on July 3, 2017 from es.wikipedia.org.