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Tartessos

Tartessos was an ancient city located in southwestern Iberia, modern-day Spain, on the Guadalquivir River. Archaeological evidence suggests that the city existed from the 8th to the 5th centuries BC, with possible connections to the eastern Mediterranean cultures.

The Tartessians were a pre-Roman people who established a complex urban center, with evidence of trade and

Excavations have revealed a well-planned city, with stone buildings, and evidence of a currency system based

Little is known about the city's political organization or the cultural practices of the people due to

Excavations by Silius Italicus and others at modern-day Doñana National Park, have confirmed the presence of

cultural
exchange
with
various
civilizations
including
the
Phoenicians,
Greeks,
and
Carthaginians.
Archaeological
findings
indicate
a
sophisticated
society,
with
advanced
metalworking,
including
bronze
and
gold,
and
a
monetary
system
based
on
electrum,
a
naturally
occurring
alloy
of
gold
and
silver.
on
discrete
metalworking.
The
importance
of
the
Tartessians
lies
in
their
role
as
a
hub
of
cultural
and
commercial
exchange
between
the
eastern
Mediterranean
and
the
western
edge
of
the
Roman
Empire.
Their
city
was
known
for
its
gold,
bronze,
and
electrum
wealth,
which
attracted
traders
andGreco-Punic
colonization.
lack
of
written
sources.
It
was
conquered
by
the
Carthaginians
in
550
BC
and
later
became
an
important
stronghold
in
the
Claudius's
colony.
The
parent
site
of
Tartessos
remains
a
popular
topic
of
study
and
is
particularly
interesting
due
to
its
complexity
and
extensive
marine
port.
platform
homes,
temples,
palaces,
and
a
majestic
town
characterized
by
columns,
corridors,
and
evidence
of
astronomical
observations
in
this
intense
commercial
center.