Southern Iberia in the early Iron Age
During the first half of the 8th century, people from the Phoenician Levant came to southern Iberia and founded a chain of settlements along the Spanish Mediterranean coast, as well as the city of Gadir (modern Cadiz) on the Atlantic seaboard. It is generally agreed that these colonisers came to the region to exploit the rich deposits of precious metals. Oriental style objects, which indicate the exchange between the Phoenician settlers and indigenous communities, can be found in almost all indigenous early Iron Age sites in the region. Initially, the purpose of this study had been to detect the elements of Greek and Phoenician influence in the material culture of the early Iron Age (the 8th century until around 600 BC), but as work progressed it became increasingly clear that this undertaking was far more complex than it had been assumed. The Phoenicians turned out to be only one factor in a complex process of transformation from the late Bronze Age way of life to the development of the early Iberian states after 600 BC. While the examination of the interaction between the indigenous communities and the eastern Mediterranean colonisers remained an important part of the study, my investigation now attempts
Morgenroth, Ulrich
Iron age ; Phoenicians ; Antiquities ; Antiquities ; Phoenician ; Spain
Southern Iberia in the early Iron Age. During the first half of the 8th century, people from the Phoenician Levant came to southern Iberia and founded a chain of settlements along the Spanish Mediterranean coast, as well as the city of Gadir (modern Cadiz) on the Atlantic seaboard. It is generally agreed that these colonisers came to the region to exploit the rich deposits of precious metals. Oriental style objects, which indicate the exchange between the Phoenician settlers and indigenous communities, can be found in almost all indigenous early Iron Age sites in the region. Initially, the purpose of this study had been to detect the elements of Greek and Phoenician influence in the material culture of the early Iron Age (the 8th century until around 600 BC), but as work progressed it became increasingly clear that this undertaking was far more complex than it had been assumed. The Phoenicians turned out to be only one factor in a complex process of transformation from the late Bronze Age way of life to the development of the early Iberian states after 600 BC. While the examination of the interaction between the indigenous communities and the eastern Mediterranean colonisers remained an important part of the study, my investigation now attempts
southern iberia first_half century people phoenician levant come southern iberia found chain settlement along spanish mediterranean coast well city modern atlantic seaboard generally_agree coloniser come region exploit rich deposit precious_metal oriental style object indicate exchange phoenician settler indigenous_community find almost indigenous site_region initially purpose_study detect element greek phoenician influence material_culture century around work progress become_increasingly clear undertake far complex assume phoenicians turn factor complex_process transformation late_bronze_age way_life development early iberian state examination interaction indigenous_community eastern_mediterranean coloniser remain_important part study investigation attempt