Astures

The Astures were an ancient group of peoples inhabiting the northwestern Iberian Peninsula, in the area that is now the region of Asturias and parts of León in northern Spain. In classical sources they are described as one of the Celtic-speaking, or at least Gallaecian, groups of western Iberia, alongside the Cantabri. The precise linguistic affiliation is debated, but most scholars place them within the broader Gallaecian Celtic sphere.

Geography and society: The Astures occupied the upland and coastal areas of the Cantabrian range, from the Asturian coast to western León. They organized themselves in tribal communities and built hillforts called castros; their material culture shows both Celtic and Iberian influences.

History: Before Roman conquest, they maintained independent polities and engaged in periodic conflict with neighbors. They resisted Roman expansion for decades and joined forces with the Cantabri during the Cantabrian Wars (29–19 BCE), after which the region was incorporated into the Roman Empire. Under Roman rule, the area became part of Hispania and saw the development of mining and road networks; one notable project in the broader region was the gold extraction at Las Médulas, near present-day Ponferrada, which funded imperial administration and warfare.

Legacy: The name Astures survives in the historic designation of the region and, from it, the name Asturias—the modern Principality of Asturias. The Astures are ancestral to the medieval Asturian kingdom established in the same area in the early 8th century, which later contributed to the formation of the Spanish kingdom. Archaeological remains, including castros and rock art, continue to illuminate pre-Roman Northwestern Iberian cultures.