1. The Phoenicians - Traders
Phoenicia - located along western coast of the Fertile crescent
NOT a great military power, often ruled by foreign governments
Wealthy trading society
Traded cedar, purple dye, silverwork, ivory carvings, slaves, glass items.

2. The Phoenicians - Sailors
Because overland trade routes were blocked by mountains and hostile neighbors, they used the sea as a way to trade.
They became expert sailors and sailed all around the Mediterranean, founding colonies as they went.

3. The Phoenician Alphabet
Most important contribution - development of one of the first alphabets, a set of letters that can be combined to form words.
Developed to make writing and recording trading activities much easier.
Our own alphabet has roots in the Phoenicians’.