Ancient Mediterranean Colonization of the Iberian Peninsula

The Phenomenon of Colonization

Various native peoples of the Eastern Mediterranean came to the Balearic Islands, the East Coast, and Andalusia in the Iberian Peninsula. Their distinctive feature was the commercial activity they had developed in the Mediterranean area. Beyond settling in Hispanic lands, they are called settlers. The main reason for their arrival was economic: copper, tin, gold, and silver. Phoenicians, Greeks, and Carthaginians came to Hispanic lands.

Early Settlers

The Morro de Mezquitilla deposit in Malaga dates from the 9th century BC. The founding of Gades, future Cadiz, is dated between 800 and 775 BC. New foundations are usually located on the Mediterranean coast of Andalusia, such as Sexi. They were interested in the mines of the Huelva region, Riotinto, for silver and iron.

The Greeks

Greek colonization was later. Personalities from Phocaea arrived around 600 BC, establishing a large colony at Massilia (Marseille). Emporion was the leading Greek colony in Hispanic lands, founded in 575 BC.

The Carthaginians

The Carthaginians, heirs of the Phoenicians, raided the coasts of Spain after the 6th century BC. Their first steps were in Ibiza between the 5th and 3rd centuries BC.

The Legacy of the Colonizers

• New crops were introduced, including linseed, olives, and esparto.
• A crucial working tool, the potter's wheel, was introduced to Hispanic lands.
• They brought news of interest to mining and metal processing.
• Trade intensified and reached a new dimension with the use of money.
• The colonized peoples in the Iberian Peninsula introduced a major innovation: the use of slaves as labor.

The most crucial contribution of these people was the introduction of the potter's wheel. From the Phoenicians, the most significant pieces are the anthropoid sarcophagus of Cadiz and the famous treasure of Aliseda. From the Greeks, the Ampurias colony provides a remarkable representation of pottery, stone sculptures, and small bronze figures of considerable influence on Iberian art.

Tartessos: Myth and Reality

A very bright culture developed in the southwest of the Peninsula, named Tartessos, mentioned in biblical texts and the texts of Greek writers. It was considered a city and a river, but also a vast kingdom, which extended from Huelva to the vicinity of Cartagena. Monarchs such as Gerion, Gargonis, and Habis are mythical. Only Argantonio seems to be real.

Fabulous treasures have been found on land, such as Carambolo in Seville, dating from 600-550 BC. The powerful impetus of the Tartessian world was craftsmanship and mineral extraction, mainly due to trade with the Phoenicians. It appears that a powerful aristocracy emerged.

Tartessos vanished midway through the first millennium BC. It was thought to have been the victim of military action by the Carthaginians, but it seems to have been due to internal factors.