The Iberians are subject of a major archaeological exhibition in Basel. The Antikenmuseum Basel and Sammlung Ludwig, in cooperation with the Museu d’Arqueologia de Catalunya in Barcelona, presents more than 260 exhibits from 40 archaeological excavation sites that illustrate the diversity and beauty of these peoples who lived along the eastern part of the Iberian Peninsula during the Iron Age (800-100 BC).
Pictures: Exhibition ‘Iberians’, Antikenmuseum Basel and Sammlung Ludwig
The exhibition offers a fascinating insight into the history of the Iberian peoples. The Iberian culture began to develop in the 6th century BC. The era of the Iberians came to an end around 500 years later when the entire Iberian Peninsula was conquered by the Romans.
The Iberian peoples lived on the southern coast of Andalusia from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, as well as across the entire eastern coast of what is now Spain, also extending as far as Languedoc in what is now southern France.
They achieved a high level of social and cultural development. The Iberian culture developed from the combination of local traditions and foreign influences from the Orient and Greece. Drawn to the region by the plentiful metals, the Phoenicians, and later the Greeks, established trading settlements in the areas populated by the Iberians.
The Iberian culture was characterised by highly developed production techniques, for example gold and silversmithing methods, as well as a spoken and written language, a complex system of gods and religious practices.
Its civilisation was already mentioned by ancient Greek and Roman scholars, but forgotten after the fall of the Roman Empire (5th century AD). Archaeological excavations and historical, linguistic and paleogenetic studies allow a reconstruction of this splendid Iron Age culture.
The exhibition texts are available in Catalan, Spanish, German, English and French.