Ancient Civilizations and Colonization of the Iberian Peninsula

Pre-Roman Peoples and Historic Settlements in Iberia

The Pre-Roman Cultures (1200 BC - Roman Occupation)

During the period between 1200 BC and the final Roman occupation of the Iberian Peninsula, various indigenous cultures coexisted, collectively known as the Pre-Roman Peoples. Their cultures resulted from the transformation of the native substrate of the Bronze Age, influenced by contact with peoples arriving from Central Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean.

A developed civilization emerged in the Southwest Peninsula, whose economic base was the exploitation and trade of metals. Necropolises from this era have provided rich grave goods, sometimes including abundant gold jewelry.

The Iberians and Celtiberians

In the southern Mediterranean area, Phoenician and Greek contact with the peninsular substrate led to the appearance of different peoples (e.g., Turdetani, Bastuli), collectively known as the Iberians. They shared common cultural traits but did not form a political unit. They significantly developed agriculture, produced a highly refined art, and used their own alphabet.

The formation of the Celtiberians involved two waves of Indo-European culture:

• The first groups introduced the Urnfield culture in the 12th century BC.
• A second Celtic wave crossed the Pyrenees between the 8th and 6th centuries BC.

From the fusion of Celtic and Iberian cultures, the Celtiberians emerged, settling on the eastern fringe of the Northern Submeseta and the central peninsula.

Northern Peoples and Castros

In the North (including Galicians, Asturians, Cantabrians, and Basques), these peoples received fewer outside influences. These northern peoples built fortified villages, known as castros.

Historic Settlements: Phoenicians, Greeks, and Carthaginians

The Phoenicians

The Phoenicians, originating from the Levant, came to Spain looking for raw materials in the 12th century BC. Their main settlement was Gadir (Cádiz). They introduced several key innovations:

• Iron metallurgy
• The potter's wheel
• Vineyards and olive cultivation
• Writing

The Greeks

Around 600 BC, the Phocaean Greeks founded Massilia (Marseille). From there, they established the colony of Emporion (Ampurias) in modern-day Girona, where important archaeological remains are preserved. In exchange for silver, the Greeks offered oil, wine, and luxury ceramics.

In Emporion, the street grid was rectilinear, and the city featured the typical elements of a Greek polis.

The Carthaginians

In the mid-7th century BC, the Carthaginians founded their first colony in Ibiza. They also settled in the peninsular South, founding Carthago Nova (Cartagena).

The Barca family extended Carthaginian dominance across the Peninsula. Ultimately, the Punic Wars turned the Peninsula into the main scene of confrontation between Carthage and Rome.