Design Themes for the Phoenician Museum on the Mississippi River
Today for an hour on international video, we discussed the design themes for the Phoenician Museum on the Mississippi River.
Great designs require great tension between opposing ideas. History has many examples of people looking for a better place to live. The movements of people include the drama of refugees looking for safety and of seekers looking for greener pastures. The Phoenician Museum considers the historical themes that caused people to take risky voyages in wooden boats across stormy seas from the Old to the New Worlds.
When the original 600 BC ship was built, the Pheonicians were at the height of their power. Carthaginian shipwrights had better construction techniques than anyone else in the world. Rome and Carthage were rivals in 600 BC. It is possible for us to see one of the great achievements of one of the great empires of the world by examining the faithful replica of the 2,600-year-old Phoenician ship in Montrose.
In the 3rd and 2nd Centuries BC, Rome and Carthage fought a hundred-year war that profoundly affected the Western World. As a result of Carthage’s destruction, the Phoenicians became lost to history. There are many reasons why the descendants of this lost people wish to restore a memory of their ancestors. This is a major reason why the people of Carthage are interested in joining the Heartland Research Group in America so as to reconnect with their history.
The Roman Legions poured salt on the fields of Carthage, took the Phoenicians into slavery, destroyed their libraries, and burned their homes, leaving only a small memory of their greatness. The replica ship brings back the position of these people to the history of the ancient world.
Taking the same themes of loss and restoration, native Americans have walked their trails of tears for generations. There are many similarities between the Phoenicians and native Americans.
The Pheonician Museum will greatly benefit by bringing these two people back together. They are connected at the Phoenician Ship Museum and all good-hearted people should learn about their histories. We ask you to join us as we bring this history to light.
