The Iberian Peninsula, today’s Spain and Portugal, has been an attractive place to settle for thousands of years. A number of peoples have left their mark on this landscape and its culture. Some have been peaceful immigrants, others conquerors, still others can almost be said to have been in transit – even though they spent a few years here. Some were thrown out, others were allowed to stay. The very first people we know of made colorful cave paintings that we can admire in the famous cave in Altemira to the far north in Spain. This Stone Age art shows, among other things, colorful bison, deer and wild boar. Spain is diverse – from early times until today. But, do you know when the different peoples came to the Iberian Peninsula? Try our quiz to learn more.
You will find more comprehensive answers to each answer option below.
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Results
#1. When did the first people we call Iberians come to these lands?
#2. When did the Celts immigrate to Iberia?
#3. When did the Carthaginians arrive on the Iberian Peninsula?
#4. When did the Vandals arrive in Iberia?
Answer question #1: When did the first people we call Iberians come to the country?
1) About 10,000 years ago: Wrong: This is a bit too early. The ethnic groups that go under the collective name Iberians are considered the indigenous people of the Iberian Peninsula. The name Iberia is derived from the Greek word for river. Like other early cultures, the Iberians also built their communities in places where there was good access to fresh water.
2) 5-7,000 years ago: Correct: Historians believe the first Iberians appeared 5-7,000 years ago. There is still disagreement about where these people came from, whether they were from other parts of Europe or whether they were immigrants from northern Africa – perhaps they came from more than one region. There is also no agreement among professionals as to whether the Iberians belong to the same group behind the cave paintings in Altemira or whether they mingled with the descendants of the Altemira culture. It is the ancient Greek writers who first used the term Iberians about people of Spain. The name Iberia is derived from the Greek word for river.
3) Approx. 3,000 years ago: Wrong: The Iberians established themselves on the Iberian Peninsula significantly more than 3,000 years ago. It was another people who began to find their way to what is today Spain in the 1000s BC. But more on that in question 2.
Answer question #2: When did the Celts immigrate to Iberia?
1) In the 9th century BC: Correct: The great Celtic invasion of the Iberian Peninsula began in the late 9th century BC. Admittedly, immigration had gradually begun a couple of hundred years earlier, but the first major wave of Celtic immigrants gained momentum at this time. Celtic is a collective term for various tribes that spoke a Celtic language. They originally came from Central Europe. The Celts were among the few immigrant groups that came by road to Spain. Due to the difficulties of crossing the Pyrenees, the large mountain range that separates present-day Spain and France, throughout history there have been far more people who have come by sea or from the south to occupy the Iberian Peninsula. The Celtic influence became so great that the population of the Iberian Peninsula in the heyday of the Celts is often described as Celtiberians. Today’s Spanish regions of Galicia and Asturias are still considered Celtic core areas – and local folk music often includes a bagpipe. Celtic language, on the other hand, has disappeared from modern Spain.
2) In the 12th century BC: Wrong: This is a little too early and was just before the Celtic migrations to Iberia began. Celtic culture has left deep traces in Spain, although their language has not survived to modern times as it has in Ireland and Scotland. By the way, bagpipes are not only found in Irish and Scottish folk music – just look at the folk music from Galicia and Asturias – both Celtic core areas on the Iberian Peninsula.
3) In the 5th century BC: Wrong: In the 5th century AD the Celts had been in Iberia for a long time. By this time, several other kingdoms and cultures had also established themselves in the country and left their mark on people and culture through trade and cultural exchange. The Celtic cultural influence has played an important role in many parts of Spain – although the original Celtic languages have long since become extinct.
Answer question #3: When did the Carthaginians arrive on the Iberian Peninsula?
1) About 354 BC: Wrong: This is too late. The Carthaginians already had a long history on the Iberian Peninsula in the 300s BC. The mighty empire, headquartered in Carthage (in present-day Tunisia), had already conquered cities and territories and established colonies along the coast of Spain by this time. The Carthaginians are, in a sense, the continuation of the Phoenicians who lived in the eastern Mediterranean, in the area where we today find Syria, Lebanon and Israel. They were skilled seafarers and for hundreds of years dominated trade and traffic in the Mediterranean. Carthaginians also moved inland on the Iberian Peninsula in search of metals, minerals and other resources they could trade with. The Iberian Peninsula has rich deposits of metals.
2) About the year 737 BC: Wrong: This is a while before the Carthaginian conquests on the Spanish mainland. Admittedly, Carthage was established by the Phoenicians at this time. Most historians believe that Carthage was most likely created sometime between 846 and 813 BC. Carthage’s expansion and colonization on the Spanish mainland had not yet begun in 737 BC.
3) About the year 575 BC: Correct: The year 575 BC is considered the starting year for Carthage’s entry into the Iberian Peninsula. From this time and for hundreds of years to come, Carthage was to play an important role in Iberia’s history. They established colonies in a number of places in both the Balearic Islands and on the Spanish mainland. Find Your Spain wrote about the Carthaginians on the Iberian Peninsula here: The land everyone wants.
Answer question #4: When did the Vandals arrive in Iberia?
1) Early 400s AD: Correct: The Vandals came from the north and crossed the Pyrenees to the Iberian Peninsula as early as 409 AD. It has been estimated that about 200,000 vandals were almost chased through Francia – by Romans and various local populations until they ended up in Iberia. The Vandals sought refuge on the Iberian Peninsula for a couple of decades, before being forced to move on.
2) Around the year 150 BC: Wrong: The Vandals had not arrived on the Iberian Peninsula as early as 150 BC. They were an East Germanic people who originally lived along the river Oder, which flows through present-day Czech Republic, Poland and Germany. Some historians believe that the Vandals originally came from areas in Scandinavia.
3) In the middle of the 800s AD: Wrong: In the middle of the 800s AD the Vandals had long since been pushed through Europe and out of Spain. I 429 AD they ended up in North Africa where they eventually established a powerful empire that fought back against its former unfriendly host country of Rome: the Vandals occupied the Balearic Islands and plundered Rome, the capital of the Roman Empire. It was this event, the plundering of Rome in 455 AD, that gave rise to the expression and concept of vandalism.
You can also go to our page Iberia: Peoples and Empires for a brief history overview, maps and more detailed information.
Hope you enjoyed the quiz!
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