The ancient Iberians were a Pre-Roman Iron Age culture in the eastern side of the Iberian Peninsula. Even though the entire peninsula has been named after them, Iberian culture only occupied the Mediterranean side of the peninsula, what is now southeast France, Catalonia, Aragon, Valencia, Murcia and eastern Andalusia. The rest of the peninsula was occupied by other peoples such as Celts, Celtiberians, Vascones, etc. The Mediterranean coast of Iberia also had some Phoenician and Greek colonies, from where these civilizations influenced Iberian culture.
The language of the Iberians was a Pre-Indo-European isolate, and except for a few words and phrases such as numerals and personal names, most of it remains undeciphered. We have some evidence that ancient Iberian language had some connection with Proto-Basque, as we know for certain that the Iberian numerals were very similar to modern Basque numerals, indicating that Proto-Basque and ancient Iberian may have been different languages of a same linguistic family, different dialects of a same language, or different languages with a distant common ancestor that may have influenced each other. So, how related ancient Iberian and Proto-Basque were, remains a mystery. For writing, ancient Iberians used an adaptation of the Phoenician script.
Although there was a shared Iberian culture, some differences existed between different territories. Northern Iberians, those living closer to the Pyrenees, had a stronger La Tène Celtic influence, so they often used long double-edged swords and big oval shields like those of the Gauls, different from the kopis-like “falcata” sword and the small round shields more common further south. But apart from the external influences, Iberian culture also was unique in many aspects, with some typically Hispanic weapons and military equipment, and a distinct art and material culture. It is well known that the Romans partially based both the “gladius” sword and the “pugio” dagger on Hispanic short swords.
There is some literary and archaeological evidence that ancient Iberians practiced headhunting and severed the hands of their enemies as trophies, which they exhibited around their bodies according to Diodorus Siculus. Human hands and heads are a common symbol in Iberian stone monuments, and trophy heads have been found in two archaeological sites in Catalonia (Ullastret and Puig Castellar). These severed heads were originally nailed to the facades of buildings and public spaces. Iberians were often employed as mercenaries in the armies of the Mediterranean and famously crossed the Alps at the service of Hannibal Barca. It is likely that Pyrrhus of Epirus also encountered Iberians while fighting the multi-ethnic Carthaginian army in Sicily.
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