Beginning in the fifth century BC, while Phoenicia was under Babylonian rule, Carthage became the principal commercial center of the western Mediterranean and one of two hegemonic powers in the whole Mediterranean, rivaled only by Rome. Although it developed a distinct identity and culture, sometimes described as "Punic" (from the Latin "poenus" and "punicus"), the Carthaginians still acknowledged their Phoenician heritage and maintained many of the same societal customs and religious traditions, albeit with some localized changes; for example, their Punic language was a distinct dialect of Phoenician. The Roman term for Phoenicians, Punic, was used to describe Carthage by the contemporary Romans and remains in use by historians. The Carthaginian economy relied not only on their traditional Phoenician mercantile pursuits but also upon the agricultural and industrial produce of its overseas colonies. The Carthaginians oversaw significant exploitation of iron, lead, silver, gold and other natural resources in their lucrative Iberian colonies, while their holdings in Sicily and Africa included some of the most agriculturally productive land in the entire Mediterranean basin. There is evidence that the Carthaginians utilized the potter's wheel in manufacturing, and pioneered serial production techniques to produce many ships at minimal time and cost. Carthage's navy was for centuries the dominant force in the Mediterranean, helping expand and secure the empire and its commercial interests. By the third century BC, Carthage became one of the richest and most populous cities in the ancient world. Carthage's growing wealth and power led to several confrontations with the nascent Roman Republic known as the Punic Wars. Spanning well over a century, the conflict saw some of the largest and most complex battles in antiquity. The wars would determine the fate of the Mediterranean world, and by extension human history, putting Phoenician civilization versus Greco-Roman civilization. Notwithstanding a number of decisive and stunning victories, particularly under the leadership of Hannibal Barca in the Second Punic War, Carthage gradually lost territory, power, and prestige, culminating in its complete destruction by Roman forces after the third and final Punic War in 146 BC. The entirety of the Carthaginian Empire was absorbed into Rome, and Carthage itself was reduced to rubble, along with any written records. Although the Romans later built a new city of Carthage in its place—which grew into one of the largest and most important cities in the Roman Empire—Phoenician civilization in the western Mediterranean was all but extinguished.