Tag: phoenicia and britain

The Phoenicians were a seafaring people that were known for being traders and merchants. They established cities and trade routes all over the Mesopotamian region. Their trade routes are extended from the coast of Canaan in the east to the tips of Libya and Spain in the west. Some historians and scholars claim that the Phoenicians had extended their trade beyond the coastal cities of northern Africa and Southern Spain into the Atlantic Ocean. There is also some speculation about the Phoenicians conducting trade with the British and the Germans along their shorelines.  This possible trading took place at the height of their powers and is placed at 1100 BC on the Bible Timeline Chart

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Once the Phoenicians set up colonies along various coastal areas they began to expand their operations and trade goods with many nations. The Phoenicians exchanged merchandise with past world powers such as Egypt, Greece, Rome and the Iberian Peninsula or Spain. They also traded with other empires and kingdoms that were located near their coastal cities. The Israelites, Babylonians and the Hittites were other groups of people that conducted business with the Phoenicians.

The Phoenicians extended their seafaring power all the way to Spain near the Straits of Gibraltar. This particular landmark represented the extent of their empire in the west. Some historical records indicate that the Phoenicians sailed beyond Spain to Britain to trade tin. During the Bronze Age, this particular metal substance was needed in the process of making copper. Strabo was an ancient historian who states in his records that the Phoenicians had a lucrative trade with Britain for tin. The trade with Britain seems to have been just limited to only tin and not any other type of materials. Phoenicians might have traded with the British.

Phoenicians primarily sailed along the coastlines to various trading points that were situated on their routes. Even though they were a seafaring people, they did not take long extended voyages into the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean. They might have sailed up to Britain for tin, but it’s highly unlikely that they would have ventured out beyond that point. Some Phoenician traders or sailors could have traveled out into the deep waters of the Atlantic Oceans, but no historical records indicate that this ever happened. Besides, their vessels weren’t designed or equipped for long range open water sailing expeditions. Land routes might have been opened up for trade by the Phoenicians. If they were present there probably wasn’t that many available for the traders and merchants to utilize.

The fact is that the Phoenicians kept their trade mostly limited to the major cities, kingdoms and empires that were established along the coastlines of the Mesopotamian Sea. Since this part of the world was the most populated and financially powerful regions of the Earth during the first 2000 years of human history. It would have only made since for the Phoenicians to contain their trade in this area. Ultimately, the Phoenicians might have conducted some minor trading operations to Britain.