\f1 \fs22 One of Carthage's principal resources was agriculture. The fertile land around the city, owned by the ari
stocracy, was subjected to intensive cultivation at an early date. Punic agriculture was renowned in antiquity for its fruit trees and vines. In addition stock raising and the production of garum were very common. There is evidence for numerous specializ
ed craft activities, from the working of metals to the weaving of cloth and the production of objects in wood, glass, and ivory. The need to obtain raw materials for these industries was a major stimulus for the development of trade, especially by sea. S
ources of precious metals were of fundamental importance to the Carthaginians, who made them into jewelry and sold them in all the principal markets of the Mediterranean. Silver was obtained from Spain, while gold came from the African interior.\par