Prehistoric Evolution and Roman Legacy in Iberia

Humanization in the Iberian Peninsula: New Findings

Approximately 600,000 years ago, Homo ergaster groups left Africa and, either through the Strait of Gibraltar or the Pyrenees, settled in the Peninsula. They were capable of carving stone and making small objects. It appears they inhabited the Sierra de Atapuerca (Burgos), one of the most important Paleolithic sites in the world. They were hunters and gatherers, and it is unknown if they knew how to use fire.

There are also remains of Neanderthals who lived between 250,000 and 30,000 BC. For reasons still unknown, the species disappeared. This may have had to do with the expansion of another species from Africa that settled in the Peninsula around the year 40,000: Homo sapiens. Their technology was superior to that of the Neanderthals, and it is known that they possessed language. Homo sapiens were basically hunters. We still have remnants of countless artistic expressions, most commonly known as cave paintings. Highlights include the cave paintings of Altamira and Cogul. Their meaning is still a mystery, but they seem to indicate a primitive belief system.

Between 6,000 and 3,000 BC, the Neolithic period expanded. Humans discovered agriculture and livestock. With this development, megaliths appeared in Europe (buildings made of large stones).

Conquest and Romanization: The Roman Cultural Legacy

Romanization is the process through which Hispanic society gradually absorbed Roman cultural, social, legal, and customary norms. This romanization was not homogeneous across the Peninsula. Among the most important legacies are:

• Latin: The only language maintained, except for Basque (Vascuense). It was the private and official language and the source of Romance languages like Castilian, Catalan, or Galician.
• Law (Ius Latii): This turned the Peninsula into a province within the vast Roman Empire. Today, it is still a substantial basis of our legal system.
• Religion: Constantine declared Christianity the official religion of the empire through the Edict of Milan (313 AD).
• Public Works: Roman architecture had three main objectives: the utility of the building, artistic perfection, and propaganda. Notable examples include aqueducts and theaters.

The area of greatest romanization was the Mediterranean coast, with two main focuses: Andalusia (Seneca and Lucan) and the Ebro Valley (Quintilian and Martial of Bilbilis).