The Iberian Peninsula: Ancient Cultures Before Rome

Long before the Roman Empire expanded into the Iberian territories of what is now Spain and Portugal, the lands were inhabited by diverse groups with rich cultures and traditions. Some of the earliest evidence of human settlement dates back to the Paleolithic era over 1 million years ago. However, our understanding of the pre-Roman civilizations really takes shape in the later prehistoric periods.

The Iberians

One of the most widespread groups were the Iberians, who gave their name to the peninsula itself. The Iberian culture emerged around 800 BCE in the Mediterranean areas of what is now eastern and southeastern Spain. They were influenced by other Mediterranean groups like the Greeks and Phoenicians through trade and cultural exchange.

The Iberians left behind numerous archaeological sites and artifacts that reveal their sophisticated societies. Settlements like Bastida de les Alcusses and Ullastret show advanced town planning with stone-built houses, streets, and fortifications. Brilliant Iberian sculptures, ceramics, and metalwork demonstrate their artistic talents. The famous Lady of Elche bust from the 4th century BCE is one of the finest surviving examples.

The Iberians had their own writing system, though it remains un-deciphered by modern scholars. They minted coins and engaged in mining, agriculture, pottery-making and other crafts. Various Iberian tribes and city-states emerged, suggesting they had developed organized political structures. Religion played a major role, with evidence of practices like human sacrifice.

The Celts

Another hugely influential pre-Roman group were the Celts who spread across the peninsula from the north, likely arriving around 700 BCE. The Celtic culture intermingled with the Iberians in areas of central and western Spain and Portugal, creating a Celtiberian hybrid culture.

The Celts brought new practices and technologies like iron-working andMore advanced agriculture. They built impressive hill forts and fortified cities like Numantia and Segeda in central Spain. Evidence points to complex clan-based societies ruled by a wealthy elite class.

Like their Iberian counterparts, the Celts minted coins and developed written languages using scripts derived from the Phoenician alphabet. Their religious practices were polytheistic, worshipping nature deities and spirits. Remains of sanctuaries and artifacts reveal rituals like sacrifices and ceremonial burials.

Other Groups

In addition to the Iberians and Celts, the peninsula was inhabited by other distinct groups in the pre-Roman period. The Lusitanians were Celtic tribes who inhabited areas across Portugal and western Spain. The Aquitanians had a presence in areas of northern Spain.

Greek colonists founded cities like Roses on the eastern coast of Spain as far back as the 5th century BCE. The Phoenicians established settlements like Cadiz beginning in the 9th century BCE and helped facilitate maritime trade and exchange between cultures.

The collision of the diverse native cultures with these foreign maritime colonists brought new technologies, artistic influences, and belief systems to the peninsula. This cross-cultural pollination set the stage for the highly advanced Iberian societies encountered by the Romans centuries later.

The Roman Conquest

The Roman conquest and assimilation of the Iberian peninsula took place over around 200 years from the 3rd to 1st centuries BCE. It began with the Punic Wars against the Phoenician-founded city of Carthage and the subsequent defeat of the Carthaginian forces under Hannibal.

As the Romans advanced, they encountered fierce resistance from groups like the Iberians, Celtiberians, and Lusitanians. Leaders like Viriathus of the Lusitanians achieved some major victories against Roman forces before being assassinated in 139 BCE.

Despite the stubborn opposition, the regions fell one by one as the highly organized Roman war machine overpowered the decentralized Iberian groups. Key cities were founded like Italica and Emerita Augusta to cement control and spread Roman law, engineering, and culture.

By the end of the conquest in 19 BCE, most of the Iberian peninsula had become assimilated into the Roman provinces of Hispania. However, the legacy of the proud pre-Roman civilizations lives on through their advanced technology, art, mythology and in the modern cultures of Spain and Portugal today.

Questions:

1. What are some of the cultural influences that shaped Iberian society before the Roman conquest?

2. How did the Celts contribute to the development of the Iberian Peninsula, and what evidence of their presence remains today?

3. Describe the impact of maritime colonists like the Greeks and Phoenicians on the native cultures of the Iberian Peninsula.

Word:

A Spanish word related to the reading is “escritura”, which means writing system in English. This refers to the Iberians’ own writing system, which remains a mystery to modern scholars.

Activity:

Create a visual timeline that illustrates the major events and cultural developments on the Iberian Peninsula from the Paleolithic era to the Roman conquest. They can include the arrival of the Iberians and Celts, the influence of Greek and Phoenician colonists, and the eventual Roman assimilation.