Assyria - Phoenician Warship

The Phoenicians were expert boat builders and sailors. They made some of the finest ships in the ancient world and embarked on far-flung trading expeditions, establishing Phoenician colonies across the Mediterranean. This gypsum wall panel shows a Phoenician war galley sailing down the Euphrates River. The ship was probably built and manned by Phoenicians employed by King Sennacherib. Shields are fastened to the upper deck. The pointed prow was used to ram enemy ships. Nineveh, Iraq