Description
| ITEM | Trefoil jug |
| MATERIAL | Pottery |
| CULTURE | Iron Age; Phoenician |
| PERIOD | 1200 – 980 B.C |
| DIMENSIONS | 195 mm x 130 mm |
| CONDITION | Good condition |
| PROVENANCE | Ex Jerusalem private collection, acquired between 1975 – 1990. |
| BIBLIOGRAPHY | AMIRAN, R., Ancient Pottery of the Holy Land, Plate 92, Fig. 4 |
Phoenician vessels during the Iron Age (circa 1200–500 BCE) were crucial to the development of Mediterranean maritime trade and cultural exchange. Built by the seafaring Phoenicians—primarily from coastal cities such as Tyre, Sidon, and Byblos in modern-day Lebanon—these ships were advanced for their time, combining robust construction with navigational efficiency. Their design enabled both long-distance trade and coastal exploration, laying the foundation for one of the most influential maritime networks of the ancient world.
There were generally two main types of Phoenician vessels: merchant ships and warships. Merchant ships were broad and rounded, with deep hulls designed to carry heavy cargoes such as timber, wine, oil, glass, textiles, and precious metals. These vessels were typically propelled by a large square sail and had auxiliary oars for maneuvering in harbors. Warships, on the other hand, were long and narrow, built for speed and agility, and propelled primarily by rows of oarsmen. These often featured a bronze ram at the prow for naval combat.
Phoenician shipbuilding techniques influenced later naval architecture, including that of the Greeks and Romans. Their vessels were constructed using the shell-first method, where planks were joined edge-to-edge with mortise-and-tenon joints before the internal frame was inserted—an approach requiring great skill. These ships were also among the first to feature fully developed keels, enhancing stability and seaworthiness during open-sea voyages.