Carthaginian Culture

Carthaginian society was a place of immense language, religion, and trade.

Language

While reading this text, you might be surprised to know that each of these words is based on the alphabet the Carthigians used. During this time period, the language spoken in Carthage was Phoenicio-Punic, a dialect of the Phoenician language, making it closely related to Hebrew. The alphabet used in Carthage consisted of 22 letters and was relatively easy to learn, which resulted in the Greeks and Romans eventually adopting it and making it the alphabet we use today.

Religion
Carthage was a cosmopolitan of religion, hosting gods and goddesses from numerous neighboring societies like Greece and Egypt. However, their most notable deities were Tanit and Ba'al Hammon, otherwise known as the "King of the Gods," who came to be widely worshipped and represented in Carthaginian art. Modern archaeology has also revealed that one popular religious practice in Carthage could have been child sacrifice. In recent years, large cemeteries for children and infants have uncovered in Carthage lands, but it has yet to be confirmed if reports of child sacrifice were based on truth or libel by the Romans after they invaded.

Trade

As the richest city in the ancient world, Carthage was filled with fine clothes, gold jewelry, and precious metals. Trade was a big part of Carthigian culture for the reputation of these empire's traders were known far and wide. Legend states that Carthigians could trade anything they got their hands on and turn it into a profit. Carthage was most famous for their purple-dyed cloth made using extract from murex shellfish, as well as other trade commodities like decorated ostrich eggs and ornamental masks.

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