Crossing the Atlantic on a 600 B.C. Phoenician ship Replica. | Sheimaa Oubari | TEDxLAU Women

Phoenician Exploration & Navigation - The project aimed to prove Phoenicians could have reached America 2000 years before Columbus [6] - The Phoenicians were skilled sailors, navigating by the Northern Star and circumnavigating Africa [4] - The replica ship, Phoenicia, was 20 meters long and 6 meters wide, built using ancient techniques [8] - The journey started from Carthage (Tunisia), passed through Gibraltar (Kadis), Morocco (Isawira), Canary Islands (Tenedife), Dominican Republic (Santa Domingo), and ended in Miami, Florida [9][10] - Crossing the Atlantic took 39 days, relying on trade winds and sea currents [10] Crew & Shipboard Life - The crew consisted of 12 people (10 men and 2 women) [12] - The crew was divided into three teams of four, with rotating duties including helming, cooking, cleaning, lookout, and pumping water [13] - Sleeping arrangements were basic, with hammocks or thin mattresses below deck [14] - Limited fresh water supplies meant using seawater for cooking, showering, and washing clothes [16] Cultural & Historical Significance - The Phoenicians were the indigenous people of the Levant, based in Lebanon and neighboring countries [2][3] - They invented the alphabet, traded purple dye, invented blown glass, and were skilled shipbuilders [3] - The Phoenicians focused on trade, exchange, and building connections rather than exploitation [5][20] - The Lebanese diaspora showed strong connection to their heritage upon seeing the ship [18][19]