Cargo

Little more is known about the Phoenicians than their frequent voyages across the Mediterranean in the first millennium B.C., their superior craftmanship, and their alphabetic writing system. Most of our knowledge of this confederation of traders originate not from them, but rather from ancient Greek authors such as Homer, or Herodotus.

Off the coast of Malta, on a sandy sea floor three-hundred and sixty feet deep lie four shipwrecks of the (so far oldest known) intact cargo of what is believed to be seven Phoenician vessels. Along with grinding stones and amphorae, the remnants of the Gozo site ships yield important clues on Mediterranean trading and Phoenician sailing.

Cargo ships are unique: their function – to transport commodities to and from somewhere while often facing adverse sea conditions for prolonged amounts of time – makes it indispensable for them to have substantial stability and specialization.

Can optimism help us choose what cargo to load on (and unload from) our life vessels? Can we empower ourselves to write our own story – instead of allowing others to narrate it on our behalf? Can we opt to carry with us what uplifts (rather than deflates), to carry on?