The ancient civilization known for its reliance on maritime trade is the Phoenicians. Situated along the eastern Mediterranean, their territorial domains included present-day Lebanon, parts of Syria, and Israel. The Phoenicians excelled in shipbuilding and navigation, establishing a vast network of trade routes across the Mediterranean and beyond, reaching as far as the British Isles and West Africa. They traded goods such as textiles, glass, and the highly prized purple dye from mollusks. Their seafaring prowess also facilitated cultural exchanges, including the spread of the alphabet, which significantly influenced later writing systems, including Greek and Latin.