750-200 BC Iron Age

During the Iron Age south-west Europe stood between the Mediterranean world and the world of northern Europe. Some Iberian peoples living on the Mediterranean coast had close contacts with Greece, Italy, the Phoenicians and Carthage throughout the period. The Greeks and Carthaginians founded colonies in Iberia, and the culture of many coastal peoples became heavily influenced by Greek culture. In the interior and in the west and north, peoples lived in a very similar way to people in other parts of Iron Age Europe. These groups also had links across the Pyrenees mountains to Celtic-speaking groups in France, and Celtic languages were spoken by some communities in Iberia.

Towards the end of this period, Iberians became caught up with the power struggles between the two super powers in the western Mediterranean; Rome and Carthage. Carthage had conquered parts of Iberia and the wars between Roman and Carthage saw much fighting in Iberia. When Carthage was finally defeated by Rome, Rome conquered the coastal areas of the east and south of Iberia. From then onwards, Rome slowly conquered the other parts of Iberia in a process that lasted over 200 years.