James Stephenson, age 15, of Gadsden, Ala., for his question:
WHO WERE THE IBERIANS?
The Iberians were a group of ancient people of eastern and southern Spain. The Iberian Peninsula, comprising Spain and Portugal, takes its name from them.
The origin of the Iberians is still largely a matter for conjecture. Some scholars say that the region around the Ebro River (in ancient times it was called the Iberus River) is the most likely place of origin. Other scholars theorize that the Iberians migrates to the
Iberian Peninsula from North Africa sometime between 4000 and 3500 B.C.
The first historical references to the Iberians, made by Greek colonists settled among the Mediterranean coast of the peninsula, date from about 600 B.C.
Later data, recorded mainly by the Romans, who gained possession of the peninsula as a consequence of the Second Punic War, reveal that by about 3U0 B.C. the Iberians had become mixed with Celtic invaders from the east, producing the so called Celtiberians. The present day Spanish are in part descended from these Celtlberians.
The name Iberians was also used by the Greeks for the ancient inhabitants of what is now called the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic. The two groups of people are not related, however.
Knowledge of the Iberians of Spain has been gained mainly from cross dating of their coins and pottery. The majority of the coins are inscribed in an alphabet partly derived from those of the Phoenicians and Greeks. Most of the characters, however, are in an older, apparently indigenous script of unknown origin. The script has been deciphered, and numerous place names mentioned in inscriptions on coins can be read, but little is understood at present.
Iberian pottery has been uncovered in parts of France, Italy and North Africa, brought there originally through trade and travel.
It is widely supposed that the Iberians were generally short and dark skinned. It is also thought that they were primarily farmers, although some were metalworkers.
Scholars suggest that the Iberians lived in and around politically independent city states and that they undoubtedly possessed a sophisticated written literature.
The Iberian culture, although early indebtedness to the Carthaginians and Greeks, who had colonized Spain before the Romans, had reached high level by the time of the Roman conquest. Little of it survived the overpowering influence of Rome. The Iberian language was replaced by Latin during the six centuries of Roman rule.
Theories that attempt in some way to relate the ancient Iberians to the Basques, and the Iberian language to that of the Basques, are not supported by modern scholarship.
The Iberian peninsula is separated from the rest of the European continent by the Pyrenees. It is divided politically into Spain, Portugal and the British dependency of Gibraltar.