TURDETANS: ORIGIN, RELIGION, CUSTOMS, ECONOMY - HISTORY - 2025

The Turdetans were the ancient inhabitants of the Turdetania region, which was part of what is now southern Spain and Portugal. They inhabited the Iberian Peninsula before the expansion of the Roman Empire.

It was one of the indigenous civilizations of the Iberian region, whose territorial expansion encompassed the area that was once controlled by the Tartessos peoples. The Turdetan origins, like that of the Tartessos, are linked to Carthaginian and Phoenician history.

Turdetan ceramic. By Yuntero, from Wikimedia Commons

The Greek historian Strabo considered this culture to be the most powerful among the Iberians. According to the records of ancient Greek polis, the Turdetans were a fairly organized and well-urbanized culture.

Origin

Disappearance of the Tartessos

"Tartessos" was the name that the Greeks gave to what they believed was the first civilization of the West. The Tartessos had a great Greek influence and one of the causes that led to their disappearance was precisely the war that was fought between the Greeks and the Carthaginians.

At the time when the Etruscans allied with the Carthaginians against the Greeks, the Battle of Alalia took place in 535 BC. C, which ended the civilization of the Tartessos. While there are no clear references to what happened, there are theories that state that the civilization was exterminated by the Carthaginians after defeating the Greeks.

After the defeat of the Greeks, the Tartessos were completely unprotected against the attacks of the Carthage troops.

However, in other historical records it is said that the Tartessian capital was invaded by those from Carthage, breaking down the wall that protected the Tartessian civilization. After the fall of their capital, the Empire of the Tartessos collapsed completely.

These claims are not known for sure; what is known is that Carthage seized the Western Mediterranean and the Greeks had to stop with their expansionist policies.

From this disappearance a new civilization arose with new geopolitical conditions, descended from the Tartessos.

The Carthaginians in Turdetania

After fighting the Battle of Alalia, the Tartessos lost all commercial and cultural relationship with the Greeks, allowing themselves to be immersed in Carthaginian influence. After those from Carthage saw the riches of the Iberian Peninsula, they decided to settle mainly in the Mediterranean area for their commercial businesses.

The Punic colonization settled on the southern coast, in the Betis valley and in practically all of Turdetania. The Carthaginian influence was such that it spread even in the Turdetan coins, representing the Punic gods.

From there, the Turdetan population evolved and developed a fairly robust culture. After the arrival of the Romans, after the Punic Wars, the Turdetan civilization continued to maintain its identity.

Strabo affirmed in one of his texts that the Turdetan civilization has been considered the most cultured among the Iberians; They had their own writing that lasted thanks to the permanence of their traditions.

Religion

Religious influences

It is difficult to pin down properly what his religion was like; there is little documentation on this. Since the colonization of the Phoenicians and Carthaginians to these territories, ideas about these foreign gods have penetrated the deities of the peoples.

It is said that the symbols and figures embodied in the ceramics may be related to their religious beliefs, also coming from the gods of Phenicia, Carthage and even the Greeks.

Strabo wrote about the existence of a sanctuary dedicated to the Phoenician deity Melkart, in Gadir. In addition, there is another sanctuary dedicated to Tanit, one of the most important goddesses in Carthaginian mythology. The Turdetans inherited from Greek influence an oracle dedicated to Menesteo.

Over time, small sculptures made of bronze have been found in the Sierra Morena mountain range, Spain. It has been concluded that these pieces may signify the existence of sanctuaries in that area.

Funeral ceremonies

The funerary rituals of the Turdetan culture were based on the cremation of the corpses where the bodies were not completely turned to ashes. Some corpses were burned within the same tomb and others were taken to the burner, where the ashes were collected to be deposited in an urn.

On the other hand, some corpses were buried with aromatic herbs and food offerings. These ceremonies were a method used by the Iberians that lasted for a large part of their history. Most of the peoples of the peninsula shared the same ritualistic structure.

Throughout time, sculptures related to the funeral ceremonies of the Turdetans have been found. In addition, stelae have been found with mythological animals from the 5th century BC. C and 1st century BC. C, respectively.

Custom

Artistic traditions

There is little record of the customs, traditions and way of life of the Turdetans. Despite that, it is known that the belief system of that culture was inherited from the Greeks, the Phoenicians and the Carthaginians, so it was inevitably influenced by artistic movements.

The Turdetans were characterized by embodying their religious ideals and fantastic beings in ceramics; they were decorated and painted in precise and symmetrical shapes.

On the other hand, Turdetan ceramics had a great influence from the II Iron Age and from Tartessian. The raw material they used was mainly clay; a material that was obtained in abundance in the plains of the Guadalquivir river, which became a habitual activity among the Turdetans.

Economy and society

Relationship between peoples

Since the fall of Tartessos there is little information until the arrival of the Romans regarding the hierarchy of power. What is known is that small monarchies arose and that good relations and alliances were maintained between the peoples in Turdetania. Both the Turdetans and the rest of the Iberian peoples were peaceful in nature.

On the other hand, there was the relationship of the ruling class with the lower class, that is, communal servitude exploited by a ruling class. It is probable that the exploited were engaged in agricultural or mining work.

According to various data found, political power was based on the military presence made up of an army of mercenaries.

farming

According to the Roman Varro, the Turdetans already knew the plow and the threshing machine before the Romans arrived, thanks to the influence of Carthage. Their crops were quite varied and efficient: cereals, vine and olive trees stand out.

Although the economic structure is not fully known, historians infer that the owners of the lands were few and more privileged. It is also assumed that a landlord system was used in the distribution of territory.

Mining

It is believed that the mines were exploited before the arrival of the Romans; In Huelva, the most important mines in the entire Iberian Peninsula were found, the Turdetans taking advantage of this benefit for their economy.

The minerals that were extracted were copper and silver, this mineral being the main material exploited until the arrival of Rome.

Cattle raising

It is known that the Turdetans raised sheep, oxen and horses. Sheep farming was associated with the textile industry to manufacture fusayolas and loom weights. These creations have been found in some tombs in the region.

References

1. Turdetania - Turdetanos y Túrdulos, Portal Todo sobre España, (nd) Taken from red2000.com
2. The Carthaginians in Turdetania and Oretania, García Ma Paz and Blanquez José, (1996). Taken from cervantesvirtual.com
3. Iberian People, Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, (nd). Taken from britannica.com
4. Turdetani, Wikipedia in English, (nd). Taken from wikipedia.org
5. Turdetani, Portal Revolvy, (nd). Taken from revolvy.com