The collector’s item gifted by the Alyafi IP Group in 2011 was the Phoenician vessel.
The Phoenicians were known to be the best sailors, boatmen and ship builders of the ancient world. They built their vessels from the famous Cedar trees that cover the mountains of the native Phoenician lands.
The Phoenicians had been at sea for some time before the Greeks and were already well established and experienced sailors, as they were traders rather than warriors. Therefore, the types of ships used by them incorporated features to assist them in trading.
The Phoenician ships that traded timber were characterized as unremarkable symmetrical oared vessels with high rising stems and decorated stern posts. The oared vessels were used for this kind of trade due to their premium maneuverability. Round sailing ships on the other hand were used by the Phoenicians for general trade especially in bulk goods. This type of “round boat,” a broad-beamed ship that depended on sails rather than oar, was the Phoenicians most significant contribution to vessel building. It provided a much larger cargo space than the narrow galleys, and was able to travel through the Mediterranean and beyond.
Phoenicians were able to cross over the Atlantic long before Christopher Columbus and the ruins of these ships were discovered in Mexico bay in the end of the 20th century.
