From Prehistoric Iberia to Roman Hispania

The Prehistoric Iberia

The origins of humanity are the historical stage classically known as Prehistory, because it is a period of which there are no written documents, since writing had not been invented. Only thanks to archaeological excavations do we know this period. The prehistoric Iberia age begins with the arrival of the first hominins 1.2 million years ago and ends with the Punic Wars, when the territory enters the domains of written history.

Prehistory has been divided into two periods according to the remains found: whether they are stone or metal.

Stone remains (Paleolithic era):

• The ancient Paleolithic (hewn stones) can be classified into:
  • Lower Paleolithic (c. 3.3 million years – 300 thousand years).
  • Middle Paleolithic (c. 300 – 50 thousand years).
  • Upper Paleolithic (c. 50 – 12 thousand years).
• If the stones were polished and rubbed, a new age is considered:
  • Neolithic (10,000 – 4,500 BC / 2,200 BC in Western Europe).

Metal scraps, according to the material used, are classified into:

• Copper: Copper Age or Chalcolithic.
• Tin and copper: Bronze Age.
• Iron: Iron Age.

The Paleolithic

a) Lower Paleolithic:

• Predation was practised. Fruit gathering and hunting.
• They cut the stones on both sides, double-faced.
• Most important site in the Iberian Peninsula: Atapuerca (Homo antecessor).

b) Middle Paleolithic:

• Practice of funeral rites. More evolved human groups.
• Specialized stone tools (Mousterian culture).
• Most important site on the peninsula: Abric Romaní de Capellades (Neanderthal Man).

c) Upper Paleolithic:

• The first cave paintings appear. Naturalistic paintings.
• Flint, bone and horn utensils.
• Most important site on the peninsula: Altamira (Homo Sapiens).

The Epipalaeolithic

It is a transitional period occurring between the Upper Paleolithic and Neolithic during the Stone Age (years 20,000 BC and 10,000 BC). It corresponds to the period of the Holocene in which humans continue to maintain the economic strategies of Paleolithic hunter-gatherer societies, before the changes towards the production economy (agriculture and livestock) characteristic of the Neolithic.

Therefore, the Epipalaeolithic begins with the end of the glaciations, which mark the end of the paleolithic about 10,000 years ago and extends until the advent of agriculture, but there are variations in the use of the term important according to the different interpretive currents.

The Neolithic

• It includes the period between the years 10,000 to 4,500 BC (2,200 BC in Western Europe)
• The most important change of humanity takes place: the own production of food, agriculture, appears.
• Sedentary population.
• Division of labour
• Polished utensils appear.
• Megalithic art (funerary): menhirs, dolmens, Tholos.
• New cave paintings: Levantine school, they drew symbols.

The Chalcolithic or Copper Age

• It covers the years 3,000 BC to 2,000 BC.
• Very expensive copper utensils, which were only used by rich people.
• Social stratification.
• The bell-shaped vessel appears.

The Bronze Age

• Bronze utensils.
• Mining exploitation.

Urnfield culture (c. 1,300 BC – 750 BC)

• It belongs to the final part of the Bronze Age period.
• Urnfield culture established around 1,300 BC and will stay until 800 BC.
• They carry the technique of incineration.
• They are established in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula.

The Iron Age Protohistory

Indo-European cultures colonized the European continent. These cultures came from the Hindustan region (India). The Iberian Peninsula will suffer waves of migration from north-central Europe.

The Phoenicians

• They settled in the Iberian Peninsula between the 8th and 4th centuries BC.
• They came from the city of Tire (modern Lebanon).
• His activity was trade. This brought a lot of progress to the peoples of the peninsula where they settled.
• They established factories (colonies) in Gades (Cádiz), Ebusus (Eivissa/Ibiza) and other cities in the south-west of the peninsula.
• They will bring the coin and the alphabet.

The Greeks

• Established in the peninsula between the 7th and 2nd centuries BC.
• It was a town of type of farmer, rancher and merchant.
• The Greeks who arrived in Massalia (Marseille) later founded Rhode (Roses) and Emporion (Empúries), in 600 BC.

The Tartessos

• They are found in the peninsula between the 7th and 3rd centuries BC.
• Located in the Guadalquivir, the exact point where they were is still unknown.
• They established important tin trade networks between the Phoenicians of Tire and the Bretons (routes through the Cantabrian).
• They were a monarchy.
• When the city of Tire was destroyed, the Tartessos lost the businesses they had with them and became poor.

The Carthaginians

• The Carthaginians are found in the peninsula between the 5th and 3rd centuries BC.
• Carthaginians will replace the Phoenicians in the domain of the southern Mediterranean.
• They seized control of the old Phoenician colonies.
• They have the technique of salting the fish.
• The Romans will call them the Punics.

The Iberians

• Indigenous people who lived on the Mediterranean coast together with the Greeks and the Phoenicians. Their culture was based on bronze.
• Each village was independent. But all towns have common features:
  • All the towns were built on hills. The towns had walls.
  • They were farmers and ranchers.
  • They had a common religion.
  • Likewise, they used swords called falcata.
  • The Iberians never break their oaths.
  • They had writing, although it could not be deciphered.
  • They had a common art. The sculptures that served as offerings to the gods predominated. The most important is the "Lady of Elx".
  • They practised cults, hunting and cattle breeding. They were partly nomadic. Not only that, but they were a bit of a warrior.
  • The most important towns were:
    • In the north of Catalonia: Ceretans.
    • In the Empordà: unsigned.
    • In the center of Catalonia: Lacetans.
    • In Vic: Ausetans.
    • In Barcelona: Laietans.
    • In Tarraco: cossetants.
    • In the Ebro: ilercavons
    • In Lleida: ilergetes.

The Romans in the Iberian Peninsula. The Ancient Age in the Hispania

Romans arrived in the year 220 BC in the Iberian Peninsula, when this territory was populated by the following peoples:

• In the northeast the Celts
• In the Mediterranean, the Iberians, who lived with Phoenicians and Greeks.
• And on the Meseta the Celtibers.

The arrival of the Romans in the peninsula

In 400 BC, there were two dominant powers in the Mediterranean: Carthage and Rome. The rivalry between the two states led them to war: the First Punic War (264 – 241 BC). The Carthaginians wanted control over the islands of Corsica and Sicily. Rome prevailed.

Subsequently, the problem of control of the Iberian Peninsula arose. A treaty was signed for the Iberian Peninsula: the Ebro Treaty, which dictated that from the Ebro up would be a territory of dominion for the Romans and from the Ebro down for the Carthaginians.

In 198 BC, the Second Punic War took place (218 – 201 BC). Hannibal started the definitive war against Rome. Hannibal wanted to go up the entire Iberian Peninsula passing through Roman territory, with the intention of attacking the city of Rome by land. In Rome, it was decided to send an army by sea to reach the Iberian Peninsula and stop Hannibal's army. In 218 BC, the Romans landed in Empúries. They defeated Hannibal and forced him to cross the strait to return to Carthage.

After the Second Punic War, the Romans decided to stay in the Peninsula, very attractive for its raw materials such as minerals, wheat, oil and wine crops and slave labour.

The conquest

• First phase of domination of the Iberian people: before 200 BC, the Iberian people were defeated.
• Second phase: conquest of the Meseta. It will last a century and a half. Until the year 50 AD, the entire peninsula was not under Roman domination, due to the resistance.
• Third phase: between the years 20 and 50 AD. Domination of the Celtic world. Augustus, the first Roman emperor, brought the bulk of the army to Cantabria. The Basques were never dominated.

Romanization

Romanization was the process of assimilation of Roman culture by the native citizens of the Iberian Peninsula. In the political aspect, in the 700 years of domination, firstly, around 200 BC, the peninsula was divided into two provinces: the east was Hispania Citerior and the south Hispania Ulterior. In each province there was the Praetor.

When the entire peninsula was conquered, Augustus declared the "Pax Romana" and carried out a new territorial division. In 19 BC, it formed 3 provinces: the largest was "Tarraconenses", with capital in Tarraco. The second was "Betica" with its capital in Córdoba and then "Hispalis ", today's Seville. Finally, there was "Lusitania ", in present-day Portugal. The capital was Emerita Augusta.

At the end of the third century, Diocletian reformed the territories. He kept Lusitania. To Baetica I added Mauritania and Tarraconenses, divided it into three: Cartaginensis, Galecia and Tarraconenses.

Hispania population

In the social aspect, 80% of the population were slaves and 20% plebeian and patrician. Within this upper class, there were two groups: the senatores (with the right to be members of the Senate) and the equites (high positions in the army).

In the economic aspect, the Romans were an urban culture. They wanted the conquered territories to produce food and be able to send it to Rome. The great pillar of industry in the peninsula was the mines. The mines were owned by the state.

Culture

In the cultural aspect, the vast majority of towns on the peninsula acquired the Latin language. The religion went through three phases. In the first phase they adopted the Greek, polytheistic religion. The Romans took religion as a matter of state, until 19 BC. With the Empire, that changed. The Emperor was a god and offerings and monuments had to be made to him… In the fourth century, the last change took place. Constantine declared Christianity as the only religion. This happened in the year 313.

Roman cities were divided into two groups:

• The pre-existing ones: it was normal for the cities that already existed before to continue the same. This is called scholarship. These cities paid taxes.
• The cities built by the Romans: they were cities made by the veterans of the army. They were called "coloniae". They were built following the outline of a military camp.

In the city there had to be the forum (central place of Roman life, where public services were located). The circus (place where chariot races were held). The amphitheatre (gladiator fights were held there). The theatre (the most cultured show, poetry, dramas…). The thermal baths (social meeting place. There were gymnasiums, thermal pools…).

As for the most relevant characters of Hispanic origin, highlight:

• Trajan (S. II). He was born in Córdoba. He became emperor.
• Hadrian, emperor, cousin of Trajan.
• Theodosius, Spanish emperor.
• Seneca the Younger, the most important Roman thinker, born in Hispalis.
• Martial, poet.