Punic Settlements (Topoi A-I-18)

Contemporary perception of the Carthaginians is always as if they were little more than the Romans’ primary opponents. Familiar is the figure of Hannibal, who crossed the Alps with his elephants to become a true danger. But the Phoenician-Punic culture is more: a rather urban culture that, starting out from the Levant in the 9th century B.C., explored and settled the Mediterranean realm. Like Hellenic culture, it is a prime example of the expansion of a culture around the entire Mediterranean. Unlike Hellenic culture, however, the Phoenician-Punic culture has never been the object of intense, comprehensive research. This makes it seem all the more urgent to intensify research on this culture in various ways in the coming years – for example with a group of young researchers, funds for which will be applied for in the future. A first step was an archaeological excavation. The material remnants provided illuminating information. When cultures repeatedly spread into new, specific, local situations, the question arises whether scientific perception can speak of a single culture at all. Beyond that, investigation focused on whether originally Phoenician-Punic societal concepts were translated anew to adapt to different regions.