Phoenicians.es looks at nothing less than the birth of Western civilization, before the Greeks and Romans, with all that implies.
The Phoenicians founded Cadiz, the first city in Western Europe, roughly 3,000 years ago bringing revolutionary change to a rural society living in small round huts made from mud and branches.
Brick two-storey townhouses, the first true alphabet, wine and olive oil cultivation, the potter’s wheel, crafted metalwork and jewellery, coloured fabrics, aromatics and essences - the list of innovations is long and revealing.
The Phoenicians transformed cultural darkness into light without the use of force, seeking trade and profit from precious metals rather than plunder, while living in harmony with the local population for centuries.
We profile the Phoenician settlements, sanctuaries and necropolises dotted along the coast of Southern Spain. Little is known and so much to be discovered - we base our knowledge on fragments of memory and flickers of truth, but the Phoenician influence runs deep.
