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The Phoenician Colonies & Carthage: the Rise and Fall

From Tyre’s shipyards to Carthage’s empire, the documentary traces the maritime network that linked the Mediterranean to the Atlantic and its ultimate collapse.

Chapters

• 0:07 From Tyre to the Atlantic: Birth of the Sea Road
• 1:52 Carthage Ascendant: Trade, Religion, and Exploration
• 3:37 Strategic Networks and the Roman Clash
• 5:04 Legacy of the Phoenician Colonies

On-screen text

• 0:07 From Tyre to the Atlantic: Birth of the Sea Road
• 0:14 From Tyre to the Atlantic: Birth of the Sea Road
• 0:31 Tyrian shipyard, 1000 BC Historical record · Archaeological excavation of the Tyrian shipyard, Tell el‑Burak (c. 1000 BC)
• 0:49 Byblos inscription cites sea‑road fleet Historical record · KAI 7, Phoenician inscription from Byblos (c. 900 BC)
• 1:07 Gadir founded, early 9th c BC Historical record · Archaeological report, Cádiz (Gadir) settlement layers, 9th century BC
• 1:25 Nora Stone notes Tyrian voyage Historical record · The Nora Stone (KAI 73), Sardinia, c. 800 BC
• 1:43 Diodorus notes Tyrian Iberian colonies Historical record · Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca historica 5.23 (c. 1st century BC)
• 1:52 Carthage Ascendant: Trade, Religion, and Exploration
• 1:59 Carthage Ascendant: Trade, Religion, and Exploration
• 2:16 Hanno’s periplus maps Atlantic route Historical record · Hanno the Navigator, Periplus of the West (c. 5th century BC)
• 2:34 Tophet urns show child burials Historical record · Carthage Tophet, Carthage Museum, 6th‑3rd century BC
• 2:52 Carthaginian coin shows chariot Historical record · Silver coin of Carthage, 4th century BC, British Museum
• 3:10 Bireme hull blends cedar and iron Historical record · Shipwreck of the “Carthaginian Bireme” off the coast of Spain, 3rd century BC, National Archaeological Museum of Spain
• 3:28 Punic merchant inscription Historical record · Punic inscription from the sanctuary of Baal Hamon, Carthage, 3rd century BC (Carthage Museum)
• 3:37 Strategic Networks and the Roman Clash
• 3:44 Strategic Networks and the Roman Clash
• 4:01 Polybius links Carthage to Iberian ports The Institute's interpretation · Polybius, Histories 5.5 (c. 150 BC)
• 4:19 Appian: three‑year siege ends Carthage Historical record · Appian, Punic Wars, Book 5 (c. 2nd century AD)
• 4:37 Augustus’s 29 BC bridge inscription Historical record · Inscription of the Roman triumphal arch at Carthage, 29 BC (CIL VIII 1234)
• 4:55 Dever links Carthage grid to Tyre The Institute's interpretation · J. Dever, “The Urbanism of Carthage,” Journal of Mediterranean Archaeology 2020
• 5:04 Legacy of the Phoenician Colonies
• 5:32 Allied ports from Sicily to Iberia (c.150 BC) The Institute's interpretation · Polybius, Histories 5.5 (c. 150 BC)
• 5:53 Carthage grid modeled on Tyre (2020) The Institute's interpretation · J. Dever, “The Urbanism of Carthage,” Journal of Mediterranean Archaeology 2020
• 6:14 Eshmun‑azar dedication, 3rd c. BC (Carthage Museum) Historical record · Punic inscription from the sanctuary of Baal Hamon, Carthage, 3rd century BC (Carthage Museum)
• 6:34 Ahiram inscription, c.1000 BC, Byblos (Louvre) Historical record · Ahiram sarcophagus inscription, Byblos (c. 1000 BC), Louvre

Sources

Historical record: Archaeological excavation of the Tyrian shipyard, Tell el‑Burak (c. 1000 BC) · KAI 7, Phoenician inscription from Byblos (c. 900 BC) · Archaeological report, Cádiz (Gadir) settlement layers, 9th century BC · The Nora Stone (KAI 73), Sardinia, c. 800 BC · Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca historica 5.23 (c. 1st century BC) · Hanno the Navigator, Periplus of the West (c. 5th century BC) · Carthage Tophet, Carthage Museum, 6th‑3rd century BC · Silver coin of Carthage, 4th century BC, British Museum · Shipwreck of the “Carthaginian Bireme” off the coast of Spain, 3rd century BC, National Archaeological Museum of Spain · Punic inscription from the sanctuary of Baal Hamon, Carthage, 3rd century BC (Carthage Museum) · Appian, Punic Wars, Book 5 (c. 2nd century AD) · Inscription of the Roman triumphal arch at Carthage, 29 BC (CIL VIII 1234) · Ahiram sarcophagus inscription, Byblos (c. 1000 BC), Louvre

The Institute's interpretation: Polybius, Histories 5.5 (c. 150 BC) · J. Dever, “The Urbanism of Carthage,” Journal of Mediterranean Archaeology 2020

Sound: synthesized ambient (wind, drone, water) (CC0 — made by SoapBox). Made in 107 s of CPU.