Information AboutIberians |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT IBERIANS | |
| ancient peoples | |
| ancient roman enemies | |
| ethnic groups in europe | |
| history of spain | |
| history of catalonia | |
|
The Iberians were an ancient, Non-Indo-European people that arrived in Spain sometime in the third millennium B.C., although their arrival has been dated as early as 4000 B.C. Most scholars believe the Iberians came from a region farther east in the Mediterranean, although some have suggested that they originated in North Africa while others believe the Iberians were a culture that evolved from native groups. The Iberians first settled along the eastern coast of Spain, and possibly spread throughout the rest of the Iberian Peninsula later on. The Iberians lived in isolated communities based on a tribal organisation. They also had a knowledge of metal working, including Bronze , and agricultural techniques. In later years, the Iberians evolved into a more complex civilization with urbanized communities and social stratification. They traded metals with the Phoenicians , Greeks , and Carthaginians . In modern times, an Iberian is also a native of the Iberian Peninsula . HISTORICAL REFERENCES Greek colonists made the first historical reference to the Iberians in the 6th century B.C. They also dubbed as Iberians another people, currently known as Caucasian Iberians . It is not known whether they had any connection or if it was just a coincidence of names. The Iberians most likely made contact with other cultures long before this, however. The Phoenicians established their first colony on the Iberian Peninsula in 1,100 B.C. and probably made contact with Iberians then or shortly thereafter. The Iberians learned writing from the Phoenicians and developed a system for recording their Own Language . Later, the Iberians incorporated elements of the Greek Alphabet into their Writing System . EXTERNAL INFLUENCES The Celts arrived in Spain in two waves in the early first millennium B.C. The Celtic culture dominated the Northern and Western Spain while the Iberians held the South. In the center, Celtic and Iberian culture mixed to produce the Celtiberians . This group, which fused both cultures, spread to the Eastern coast of Spain. The Iberians and the Celtiberians traded extensively with other Mediterranean cultures. Iberian pottery has been found in France, Italy, and North Africa. The Iberians also had extensive contact with Greek colonists who shared their cultural knowledge. The Iberians may have adopted some of the Greeks' artistic skill. Statues such as the Lady Of Baza (right) and the Lady Of Elx are thought to have been made by Iberians relatively well studied in art. The Iberians and Celtiberians were placed under Carthaginian rule for a short time between the Second and Third Punic War s. Both groups supplied troops to Hannibal 's army. The Romans subsequently conquered the Iberian Peninsula and slowly repressed the local culture and language. EXTERNAL LINKS |
|
|