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Ancient DNA Unveils the Cosmopolitan Heart of the Phoenician-Punic Civilization
Ancient DNA reveals a diverse Phoenician-Punic world shaped by trade, not migration. Explore their vibrant legacy!
Imagine a bustling port in ancient Carthage, circa 600 BCE, where Phoenician sailors unload fragrant cedarwood from Lebanon, North African potters shape intricate ostrich-egg urns, and Sicilian merchants barter for shimmering Aegean textiles. Instead, Punic communities were a kaleidoscope of ancestries, with the largest contributions from people akin to modern Sicilians and Aegean islanders, blended with significant North African roots. Artifacts mirror this fusion: painted ostrich eggs, a North African hallmark, adorned Punic tombs in Iberia, while pottery blended Aegean and local styles.
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