Ethno- Cultural Identities in Southern Hispania Through Coinage

Chapter 9 Across the Looking Glass: Ethno-Cultural Identities in Southern Hispania through Coinage

Bartolomé Mora Serrano

Few objects in Antiquity contain such quantities of information in so small a space as coins. However, their virtues are also accompanied by difficulties in their analysis in terms of formal aspects, but especially regarding content and meaning as perceived by insiders and outsiders alike. The complexity of their interpretation is increased by the simplicity of their designs and the absence of legends, save a few exceptions to be found outside the Iberian Peninsula. Such problems of identification, sometimes even due to intentional ambiguity in ancient coin iconography, are aggravated in the case of Hispania – under- standing the term in its broadest sense, so as to include pre-Roman coinage. Additional difficulties are presented by a shortage or complete absence of data, both in literary sources and in the archaeological record, regarding the vast majority of cities which issued coinage*. Despite all this, the value of coinage as archaeological evidence is significant because in the vast majority of contexts there is no other official record to com- plement data extracted from the coins issued by numerous cities in Hispania between the third and first centuries bce. This phenomenon is particularly evident in southern Iberia, as well as in Ebusus. Coins constitute one of the main identity markers for these populations, already known for their varied origins and rich cultural background through the literary sources and archae- ology. One of the main challenges faced by coin studies is the need to assess the accuracy and scope of their contribution to issues dealing with ethnicity.

* This paper forms part of the projects ‘Ethnic Identities in Southern Spain: Rise and Evolution in Antiquity (7th-2nd centuries BCE)’ (hum 03482), ‘Ethnic and Political-Civic identity in Roman Spain: The Case of the Turdetania-Baetica’ (HAR2012–32588), and ‘Before the Columns: Mal- aga in the Punic Period and Its Projection in the iberian southeastern and the Alboran Sea’ (HAR2015–68669-P). Abbreviations: cnh = Villaronga, L. 1994. Corpus Nummum Hispaniae ante Augusti Ae- tatem. Madrid: A. Herrero; cns i = Calciati, R. 1983. Corpus nummorum siculorum: La mone- tazione di bronzo. Milano: Edizione GM; dic = García Bellido, M.P. and C. Blázquez Cerrato. 2001. Diccionario de cecas y pueblos hispánicos. Madrid: csic; ivdj = Ruiz Trapero, M. 2000. Las monedas hispánicas del Instituto de Valencia de Don Juan, Madrid: Instituto de Valencia de

Fortunately, literature on the topic is extensive, and Hispania is no exception,1 providing a solid base for discussion. It is not the intention here to propose a method for analysing ancient coinage in Hispania, although it is useful for studies concerning this complex issue to explore interpretative approaches, so as to revise general assumptions in the field. With the onset of recent contributions, it is now possible to high- light some of the aspects intervening in the study of coin types in Hispania, in particular those which may be applied to issues on identity. Iconography and iconology in ancient Hispania2 follow Greek models or readings – in a general sense – which were known and adopted by the majority of the issuing authorities.3 From this standpoint, obverses and reverses may be interpreted jointly in a single reading, even in a hierarchical way, as in the Gadir issues depicting Melqart and tuna fish.4 However, there are still cases for which this evident or very probable relationship is still not clear or may even be discarded.5 No com- mon rules should be sought, although there did exist composition guidelines, used by the issuing authorities in function of their interests. The analysis of coin iconography, looking at obverses and reverses jointly, is the logical starting point for this study. However, it is also important to consider the overall context, comprising different issues coined throughout a determined time span. The majority of these coins circulated for prolonged periods, constituting, either spontaneously or intentionally, repertoires or galleries of images representing the minting city. This kind of joint reading is more complicated or less evident when dealing with mints which are particularly monotonous in their types, such as Gadir. Malaka, on the other hand, is known for its combination of Heliac divinities and other gods associated with metallurgy, with their respective astrological representations and places

Don Juan; Jenkins i = ‘Coins of Punic Sicily: Part I.’, snr 50: 25–78; sngCop. = Jenkins, G.J. 1969. Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum. The Royal Collection of Coins and Medals, Danish National Museum, Munksgaard-Copennhage; SNGStockholm = Ripollès, P.P. 2003. Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum. Sweden II. The Collection of the Royal Coin Cabinet National Museum of Economy Stockholm, Stockholm: Royal Academy of Letters History and Antiquities. 1 Significant contributions include Chaves Tristán et al. 2006; Domínguez Monedero 2000; García Bellido 2001; Chaves Tristán 2009; Mora Serrano and Cruz Andreotti 2012b, among others. 2 Ciafaloni 1995; Moreno Pulido 2007. Ricardo Olmos in particular; his contributions, whether or not relating to coinage (Olmos 1995), provide a necessary overview, already present years before in the project lynx (Olmos 1995–1997). 3 At least in the most densely urbanized territories, which issued the majority of local coinag- es, such as the Spanish Levant (Ripollès 2012) and Ulterior-Baetica (Chaves Tristán 2012a). 4 A synthesis of these proposals in García Bellido 1992, 214–215. 5 See Chaves Tristán 2012a, 180–181, for nuances on a generalized interpretation.