Phoenicians Before Columbus Expedition

Aim

A transatlantic expedition aiming to prove that the Phoenicians could have reached the Americas 2000 years before Christopher Columbus.

The Phoenicia, a replica Phoenician ship built in 2008, will set sail from Carthage (Tunisia) in August/September 2019, endeavouring to reach the shores of the Americas in December 2019.  The exact end point and date cannot be foreseen due to the vagaries of the Atlantic winds.

Expedition objectives:

• To prove that the Phoenicians were capable of crossing the Atlantic to the Americas
• To inspire interest in Phoenician culture and archaeology
• To provide participation opportunities for young people from Mediterranean countries with a Phoenician heritage
• To conduct research on plastic pollution levels in the Mediterranean and Atlantic
• To compare computer model predictions with the actual route

"It is one of the greatest voyages of mankind and if anyone could have done it before Columbus, it was the Phoenicians.  Of all the ancient civilizations, they were the greatest seafarers - Lebanon had cedar trees perfect for building strong boats, they were the first to use iron nails and they had knowledge of astrology and currents."

Philip Beale, Expedition Leader

This project successfully funded on 31st January 2019