Lecture 1 - Geo, prehistory, pre-roman iberia Flashcards
what was the 19th century myth
“Beyond the Pyrenees begins Africa”, American Economist William Zebina Riple in The Races of Europe: A Sociological Study (1899)
this is part of the racism start?
what are the three main areas of the Iberian Peninsula
The Mediterranean Region
The Central Plateau
The Atlantic Region
in the iberian peninsula, multiple geographic/climatic/cultural areas as a result of what
topography
what were the multiple geographic areas of the iberian peninsula
In the north: Cantabrian mountain range
In the center and south: Central mountain range, Sierra Morena and the Baetic Mountains
In the East the Iberian Mountains
what is the question of the ‘rivers’ and the iberian peninsula
they are too steep (almost impossible to transport goods across country), channels were built to transport goofs
but not very significant until the 19th century
was iberia isolated
The Iberian Peninsula as a crossroad of cultures
Contact with the cultures of the northern Atlantic World (Celts/Franks)
Contact with the cultures of the northern and eastern Mediterranean (Phoenicians, Romans)
Contact with the cultures of the southern Mediterranean (Carthage and others)
what are the 6 points of Early Inhabitants: The Archeological Site of Atapuerca
world heritage site major discovery earliest evidence of humans in western europe tools found pit of bones human DNA
how is the Atapuerca a world heritage site
The earliest and most abundant evidence of humankind in Europe is to be found in the caves of the Sierra de Atapuerca
where is Atapuerca located
near Burgos
how was the Atapuerca found
In 1895 a mining operation opened up the Sierra de Atapuerca near Burgos (Spain) -1910, the train line closes, and fossils began to emerge - 1964 the first serious excavations began -1970-1990 Major excavations
Earliest evidence of humans found where
western Europe– fragments of a jawbone and teeth date to 1.1–1.2 million years ago
some of the earliest evidence of tools found where
western europe
what is the Pit of Bones
a cave where more than 1,600 human fossils, including several nearly complete skulls, have been found. The age of this material is at least 300,000 years and may be as old as 600,000 years
what is the oldest human DNA found
In 2013, a thigh bone pulled out of the Pit of Bones has yielded 400,000-year-old DNA – by far the oldest human DNA ever sequenced
where was the cave art of altamira found
An idyllic space in Northern Spain (Santillana del Mar, Cantabria)
when and how was the cave art of altamira found
1879: Marcelino Sanz de Sautuola and his eight-year daughter Maria, Amateur Archeologists
what was the controversy around the cave art of altamira
A forgery? The 1889 Prehistorical Congress in Lisbon
it was a great discovery at the start but then opposition from others b it was so different than anything from before
there was a debate/thought that primitive man was not able to create that kind of detailed art! Thought to be too sophisticate for primates– only when similar paints were found in France was it believed
Why are the Altamira Cave paintings important?
A Unesco World Heritage Site: They represent the apogee of Paleolithic cave art that developed across Europe, from the Urals to the Iberian Peninusula, from 35,000 to 11,000 BC.
They were painted 18,500 to 14,000 years ago
Because of their deep galleries, isolated from external climatic influences, these caves are particularly well preserved.
Some of the best early realistic paintings in all of human history
A window to the prehistoric world
Art and the question “What makes us human?”
Art before “civilization”? (we know that this is a given but at the time it was known)
The Iberian Peninsula before the Carthaginian Conquests (c. 300): A patchwork of cultures, societies, and languages:
The Iberos (East – orange)
Celtic peoples (Center and Northwest –light yellow)
Turdetanian and Tartessian (South-West – light blue)
Aquitanian (Proto-Basque – North- green)
Greek settlements (Nothern Mediterranean – red points)
Phoenician settlements (Southern Mediterranean and Balearic Islands – blue points)
Other singular cultures: Talaiotic culture in Menorca (Balearic Islands)
WE WILL CONCENTRATE IN THREE: THE IBEROS, THE CELTIBERIANS, AND THE VASCONES
The Iberos: The Mediterranean Connection
the origin–
Probably from North Africa? Settled in the Eastern and Southern Coasts of the Iberian Peninsula – Iberian culture developed from the 6th century BC
explain The Iberos: The Mediterranean Connection
Strong influence of the Eastern Mediterranean (Greek/Phoenician)
Complex urban settlements
A diversified economy (mines, agriculture, pastoralism, metallurgy) based on trade
A stratified society (Nobles, artisans, priests, slaves) and a polytheistic religion, but not clearly centralized politically
Sophisticate art in stone and bronze(for instance, the Dama de Elche)
Spoke Iberian language (unclassified, but probably non-Indo European) which became extinct after the Roman conquest –
Developed three different writing systems with influence from the Greek and Phoenician alphabets - Mostly undeciphered
explain the Celtic Iberia: The Atlantic Connection
Arrived in the Iberian Peninsula around 6th to 5th Century BC – Settled in the Northwest and Center
Connected the Iberian Peninsula to Northern European Culture and Myths
Transhumant society – Pastoralists - Control the territory around the grazing areas through hill forts named castrosAdapted the Iberian alphabet to the Celtic language
Strongly opposed to Carthage and Rome (although they will ally themselves with Carthage during the Second Punic War)
Celtiberian was an Indoeuropean language - References to the Celtas appear even in Spanish soccer – ex.: the team Celta de Vigo
Vascones (Proto-Basque) and the question of one of Europe’s oldest languages… and peoples:
territory–
upper course of the Ebro river and Southern basin of the Western Pyrenneses
origins of the Vascones (Proto-Basque)
It is still disputed. Basque is not an Indo-European language. Three main theories based in genetic and linguistic analysis:
what are the three theories of the origins of the vascones
Native theory (mainstream):
Basque-Iberism
Caucasian origin:
what is the Native theory (mainstream):
The Vascones/Basques as a a remnant population that trace their ancestry to Mesolithic hunter-gatherer groups. BUT DNA evidence is inconclusive, some DNA studies point to Neolithic farmers while others state that their population is undistinguishable from the rest of the Iberians.
what is the Basque-Iberism
Direct relationship between the Basque language and society and the now lost Iberian language - The first author to suggest this theory was Strabo in the 1st century BC. However, the lack of written documents prior to romanization makes this difficult to prove.
what is the Caucasian origin:
Some researchers have propounded the similarities between the Basque language and the Caucasian languages, especially the Georgian language. The comparison between the matrilineal and patrilineal DNA of the native peoples from the Basque Country and Georgia has allowed the discovery of significant differences.. So far, possible connections between Basque and other languages have remained unproven.
The Carthaginian Conquest and its Significance
Originally a Phoenician Colony (founded in 814 BC) – Became the center of a Mediterranean empire between the VI and the IV century BC –
The fight for the control of the Mediterranean Sea would eventually bring a conflict with the other emerging power in the Mediterranean: Rome – This led to The Punic Wars (264 BC-146 BC)
the Iberian Peninsula became a strategic region and source of silver – Conquest of the Iberos by Carthaginian general Hamilcar Barca (236 – 218 BC) – However the Celtic tribes in the center and the East resisted the Carthaginian advance
The Iberian Peninsula was used as a base during the second Punic War (218-201 BC) [Remember Hannibal and his elephants crossing the Alps] –Carthage will lose its control over the Peninsula after the Second Punic War - The Fall of Carthage (Third Punic War 149-146 BC)
what re the key points to remember for the Carthaginian Conquest and its Significance
- The Cathaginian conquest –although limited- brought the Iberian Peninsula to the center of the conflict between the two ”superpowers” of the Ancient world.
- It contributed to the unification of the territory and meant the eventual demise of some of the civilizations already present (most notably the Iberos)
(3) The defeat of Carthage also limited the influence of the Phoenician ane Eastern Mediterranean culture in the Peninsula – Substituted by romanization.
