Artefacts never seen before in the UK, including ancient silver bowls, cooking pots and burial urns, have gone on show in the region.

Daily Life in Ancient Lebanon, an exhibition hosted by Durham University’s Oriental Museum, runs until September 25.

It is based on the work of Dr Mark Woolmer, of Durham University, who claims ancient Lebanon helped shape the modern world along with places like Greece, Rome Egypt, and Persia.

The exhibition transports visitors thousands of years back in time to Lebanon during the Bronze and Iron Ages.

It was a time when the country was home to great explorers, sailors and maritime traders, the Phoenicians.

Using the artefacts loaned from the British Museum and the National Museum of Beirut, Dr Woolmer, the university team and student volunteers paint a picture of how the ancient Phoenicians were responsible for remarkable trade voyages across Europe and creating revolutionary manufacturing processes.

Dr Woolmer said: “Contemporary politics and war, shown in our media, has led many westerners to form negative perceptions of Lebanon.

“In Daily Life in Ancient Lebanon we challenge that view, and show the country and its people are among the founders of modern civilisation.

“This is an exhibition of international importance, and to host it in Durham creates a unique opportunity for visitors to discover an unsung part of world history.”

(Source: The Northern Echo – Aug 2016)