The art of the ancient Phoenicians, which flourished between the 19th and 4th centuries BCE, was exported throughout Mesopotamia and the ancient Mediterranean. Best known for their work on small decorative objects, Phoenician artists skillfully blended influences from neighbouring cultures to produce a unique artistic heritage that has only relatively recently been brought out of the shadow of a wider Syrian art history. Intricately carved ivory panels, exquisite metal bowls, and fine colourful glassware are just some of the surviving art pieces from one of history's most neglected and forgotten cultures.
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Definition
Timeline
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c. 4000 BCE - c. 3000 BCETrade contact between Byblos and Egypt.
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c. 1200 BCE - c. 800 BCEFirst wave of Phoenician colonization where largely trading-posts are founded throughout the Mediterranean.
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c. 1000 BCEDeath of Ahiram (or Ahirom) of Byblos, whose sarcophagus bears the oldest inscription of the Phoenician alphabet.
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c. 800 BCE - 600 BCESecond stage of Phoenician colonization where trading-posts become full colonies throughout the Mediterranean.
