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 fundamental change to a rural society living in round huts made from mud and branches.
Two-storey townhouses, the first true alphabet, wine and olive oil cultivation, the potter’s wheel, crafted metals and jewellery, fine fabrics, aromatics and probably medicines - the list of innovations is long and revealing.
The Phoenicians transformed cultural darkness into light without the use of force, seeking profit from precious metals rather than plunder, and living in harmony with the local population for hundreds of years.
We profile the Phoenician settlements, sanctuaries and necropolises dotted along the coast of Southern Spain. Little is known and much to be discovered - we base our knowledge on fragments of memory and flickers of truth, but the Phoenician influence runs deep.
