Storiascopio · Era 4 of 12 · primary year 4
Phoenician seafaring
about 1000 BC · Sidon (now Lebanon) and Mediterranean sea routes
In short
Phoenician cargo ships were broad and round-bellied, while warships were narrow and fast, driven by rows of oarsmen. To find their way at night, Phoenician sailors looked at the stars of the Little Bear, which the Greeks actually called ‘the Phoenician’. They usually sailed along the coasts and stopped in harbours for the night, but they could also cross the open sea. They built their hulls from cedar of Lebanon, a strong, sweet-smelling wood.
Why it matters Their knowledge of the sea and the stars was passed on to the Greeks and Romans.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Phoenicia”
Where we are in the era “Sea civilisations”
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about 2000 BCEvent 14 of 25about 500 BC
Your turn
Name ______________________ Class ______ Date __________
When did it happen? Find the date at the top and write it here:
Tell it in your own words: what happened?
Draw the scene below.
storiascopio.com/en/event/phoenician-seafaring/ · free worksheet, you may photocopy it for your class