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The late Bronze Age began around the 11th century BC with three different cultural currents predominating: Central European, Atlantic, and Eastern Mediterranean. With an increase in cultural exchanges, these civilisations mixed with native cultures, eventually evolving into what are known as Pre-Roman cultures. Major changes took place and new traditions arose. In the Northwest, they began to cremate their dead and leave their ashes in urnfields, while in the middle of the Peninsula and in the northern and western regions, highly sophisticated bronze weapons and objects were commercially traded. And lastly, merchants and new cultural groups arose in the Mediterranean and southern regions of the Peninsula, foreshadowing the future colonisation of these areas. Meanwhile, advances in metallurgy led to the development of goldsmithing, as evidenced by the Treasure of Villena (Alicante). Livestock routes stretching inland were also built, as revealed at some excavation sites such as Peña Negra in Crevillent (Alicante). These external influences did not, however, impede indigenous development. Examples of this can be seen from the Cogotas culture, which extended to the Douro and Tagus river basins starting in the 11th century BC, as well as from the Talayotic culture on the Balearic Islands at the end of the Naviform period.
During this period emerge control walkway in livestock routes, water points, mountain passes or river fords as the Tagus River Trail. Metallurgical production sites were built to the north of the Tagus River in Portugal and along the Tinto-Odiel estuary, home to the Tartessian Civilisation during the 10th and 11th centuries BC. By the 8th century BC The Atlantic metallurgy was predominant on the entire Iberian Peninsula, especially at settlements in fertile and grassy areas along the river plains. Such settlements were frequently left open and unprotected, but at other times, built inside walled enclosures. Phoenician merchants began to appear on the coasts around this precolonial period, and later, towards the end of the 7th 7<sup>th</sup> century BC, the Greeks.<br>
[[File:Enelaboracion.jpg|center|thumb|none|300px|Map: The Bronze Age. Spain.
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{{ANEAutoria|Autores= María Sánchez Agustí, José Antonio Álvarez Castrillón, Mercedes de la Calle Carracedo, Daniel Galván Desvaux, Joaquín García Andrés, Isidoro González Gallego, Montserrat León Guerrero, Esther López Torres, Carlos Lozano Ruiz, Ignacio Martín Jiménez, Rosendo Martínez Rodríguez, Rafael de Miguel González}}
{{ANESubirArriba}}{{ANETextoEpigrafe|epigrafe=Cultural areas and Pre-Roman civilisation}}
[[File:Enelaboracion.jpg|right|thumb|none|300px|Image: The Lady of Baza (Dama de Baza). Museo Arqueológico Naciona, Madrid
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During the Early Iron Age (or Iron Age I), despite the peculiarities of the individual communities located on the Peninsula, these groups shared a common culture with its own customs and traditions, which they managed to sustain even in the face of constant influences from the outside world. Asian influences were felt on the Andalusian, southeastern and eastern coasts, slowly spreading to the farthest stretches of the Peninsula, even to areas difficult to access from the coastlines.
Archaeological evidence regarding early Phoenician presence on the Peninsula reveals they had already started establishing commercial contacts in the area before the 8<sup>th</sup> century BC or precolonial era. As
the Phoenicians began to permanently settle in the southwestern reaches of the territory and gain control of this area sometime after the 7<sup>th</sup> century BC, close trading relations were gradually developed with the Punic cities of the Near East and Northern Africa. A network of commercial trading routes was established. Their products were exported from their Metropoli to the Iberian Peninsula through developing markets on the Iberian coasts, expanding into the interior.
The colonisations of the areas around Huelva and the Lower Guadalquivir facilitated the growth of the Tartessian culture (it has been spoken about the kingdom of the Tartessos and even about some of its kings) in the Early Iron Age or Iron Age I. This historical and cultural development featured profound changes in the region's indigenous societies. In the Late Bronze Age and the Iron Age I, they transitioned to mining and exploiting the land in the Guadalquivir valley for agricultural purposes, making necessary frequent exchanges and other forms of social interactions. Growing cultural, social and economic influences from the Eastern Mediterranean were becoming evident in these communities. This phenomenon is both evidenced by and attributable to the importation of ceramics, objects made of precious metals, fabrics, oil, and wine.
The Tartessian civilisation, initially limited to the areas along the Tinto, Odiel and lower Guadalquivir rivers, as can be seen on the map Early Iron Age, expanded throughout the southern reaches of the Peninsula to the mouths of the Guadiana and Segura Rivers. The influence of the Tartessian culture had also spanned the southeastern part of the Peninsula, the southern eastern region, the southern coast of Portugal and the interior of Andalusia. Remnants of a Tartessian capital, or of a cultural epicentre have yet to be found despite a tireless search by archaeologists.
Meanwhile, the centre of the Peninsula was much slower to adapt to the technological changes taking place, and as a consequence, its populations did not experience the same level of growth and prosperity as their counterparts in the south. The central territory eventually began to be populated by small fortified villages. An example of this is the Soto de Medinilla culture (which is named after the most thoroughly studied settlement in Valladolid) in the Douro Valley.
By the Iron Age II (500 BC, many years before Romanisation), the use of iron was widespread throughout the Peninsula, greatly increasing the number and variety of available tools. At the same time, new social and economic structures arose on the Peninsula, built on foundations laid from the peoples of the previous era. These cultural and territorial changes were described by Greco-Latin writers, particularly by Pliny and Strabo. The process of acculturation initiated subsequently by Rome was influenced by these Iberian developments.
Historians and archaeologists have pointed out the difficulty of linking the data from material remains to information provided by historiographic or literary sources because the information is often confusing and contradictory. Nevertheless, the field of archaeology is making a concerted effort to identify the geographic distribution of Pre-Roman communities based on data obtained from research, as illustrated on the map Late Iron Age. ''Pre-Roman'' peoples.
The map shows the location of the major archaeological settlement sites identified on the Iberian Peninsula compared to the areas traditionally ascribed to the principle ethnic groups in archaeological literature. This map and its associated information, should be read and interpreted recognising that the borders of the areas occupied by these population groups are generally loosely defined since there were constant social and economic interactions between their respective populations. As a consequence of such interaction over the centuries, these areas were constantly expanding and contracting over the centuries, inevitably producing border uncertainty. The Lusitanian and Veton population groups are examples of this.
In the south and east, the influence of Colonial Greek acculturation on pre-existing populations varying in social status, led to the eventual establishment of a unified Iberian culture, made up of different groups such as the Turdetani, Bastetani, Oretani, Turduli, Contestani, Edetani, Ilercaones, Ilergetae, Cessetani, Laietani, Indiketes and Sedetani. Its preponderance in the Peninsula (not in vain named Iberian), is explained by its intense commercial activity, the refinement of agricultural techniques, and its specialization in typically Mediterranean crops (cereals, vines, olive trees), as well as by the development of specialized iron metallurgy and the growth of its population, which gives the entire Mediterranean coastline a higher population density. Their acts of worship and funerary rituals (cremation) reveal a well-structured social hierarchy and a more advanced society. With the introduction of palatial sistem, the peoples of this Iberian culture began the process of urbanisation. They produced important works of art like The Ladies (damas) of Elche (Alicante), Baza (Granada), Guardamar (Cabezo Lucero, Alicante) and Cerro de los Santos (a lost sanctuary near Yecla). They also created high quality metal works of gold and silver, as can be seen by treasures found at Jávea (Alicante) and at Cástulo and Linares (Jaén). Moreover, they had an alphabet, albeit not fully unravelled which spread to the south of France and was used until it was replaced, during the period of Romanisation, by the Latin language and alphabet.
The rest of the Peninsula reflected a conglomeration of indo-European-rooted peoples some more influenced by the Celts than others. There were those on the Plateau: Celtiberi, Vaccaei and, Vettones; on the Atlantic coast: Celtici of the southwest, Lusitani and Callaeci (Northwest hillforts groups); and in the north, Astures, Cantabri, Autrigones, Varduli, Caristii and Berones. The Vascones located in the Navarran Pyrenees, were also in the north.
The most recent research on the geographical distribution of the population on the Iberian Peninsula during the Iron Age II shows an overall gradual population increase throughout the territory attributable to the expansion of walled settlements (where population tended to concentrate), although the growth varied from region to region. Many of these communities arose starting in the 2nd century BC with the creation of Oppida, authenthic urban centres with administrative functions and territorial power. These Oppida eventually became civitates with the Roman occupation of the Peninsula. Life was pastoral and reliant on subsistence farming, primarily involving dried grains, particularly in the Douro and Ebro river basins. There were notable developments in ceramics and metallurgy (particularly for weapons, fibulas, and bracelets) and in the growth and expansion of commercial trade. Noteworthy examples evidencing significant artistic advancement include rock sculptures of boars made (verracos) by the Vetton culture and the monolithic stone discs of the Cantabrian stela.
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