Celtiberian Cities and Roman Rule Urbanization and Romanization in Celtiberia P.H.A.Houten 0352047 Van der Mondestraat 163-B1e 3515 BG Utrecht Netherlands [email protected] / [email protected] Thesis presented: June 26th 2013 Utrecht University Faculty of Humanities – Department of History Researchmaster Ancient, Medieval and Renaissance Studies Track Ancient Studies First reader Dr. S.L.M. Stevens Utrecht University Second reader Prof. Dr. M. Almagro-Gorbea Real Academia Historia España Complutense University Madrid Cover image: Left upper corner: Numantia 3D reconstruction (Artehistoria.net) Left lower corner: Numantia aerial view today (Celtiberiahistorica.es) Right upper corner: Segobriga 3D reconstruction (After Abascal, Almagro & Cebrián (2005) fig. 33A p. 43) Right lower corner: Segobriga aerial view today (After Abascal, Almagro & Cebrián (2005) fig. 33B p. 42). Acknowledgement Although an acknowledgement is not standard for a master thesis, I believe it is necessary. In the beginning, because the investigation would have been impossible without the two grants I got, to study and do research in Spain. The Erasmus Mundus programme allowed for the possibility to study at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), where I met professor Almagro-Gorbea who pointed me to different scholars and institutions to visit. The foremost is the Deutsches Archäologisches Institut in Madrid, their extensive library and friendly personnel allowed for the accumulation of secondary sources on the subject of this research. I always appreciated the discussions with dr. Torres-Martínez in the archaeological laboratory of UCM, he had me to think on several different aspects of the Celtiberian culture and its relation to other peoples on the peninsula. The conversations with dr. Torres-Ortiz on the Phoenician presence at the south coast of the Iberian Peninsula were necessary to understand the relevance of the Phoenicians for urbanisation. Secondly, the Philologisch Studiefonds Travel Grant allowed me to visit several sites in former Celtiberia and relevant museums in Spain. Without the ability to visit these sites and museums I would never be able to understand the significance of the landscape for urban development. Moreover, visiting archaeological sites answers questions that rise reading archaeological reports and it raises new questions leading to a better understanding of the complexity of the subject. Finally, I want to thank the different people making this thesis possible, of course the two readers and tutors for the thesis, dr. Stevens at Utrecht University and prof. dr. Almagro-Gorbea at Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Without their guidance and editorial support this would not have been possible. Any errors or inadequacies that may remain in this work are the responsibility of my own. Last but certainly not least, I want to express my gratitude to my fiancé. Without her help, guidance and her calmness I would already have stressed out from the very beginning of this research in Madrid. Abstract On Celtiberian urbanism there are two discourses: on the one hand, the prehistorical discourse regarding pre-Roman Celtiberia an urban society. On the other, the historical discourse explaining how the Romans created the urban society of the Celtiberians, as the latter people Romanized. This master thesis focuses on this incongruence. Therefore, the main question is: What is the relation between Romanization and urbanization in Celtiberia? Firstly, a short overview of the Romanization discourse is given to understand the different models proposed by Curchin (2004). Moreover, the relation between Romanization and urbanization is taken in account to understand the idea of the causal relation between these two ‘-zations’. Thereafter, the discourse on ancient urbanism is taken in account to understand what is regarded as urban. The urban theory of the consumer city, by Weber (1922) and Finley (1977), is taken in account. Moreover, the central place theory proposed by Christaller (1930) is combined with this consumer city model. The urbanization of the Celtiberians is treated in four phases. The first three have been proposed by Almagro-Gorbea (1994) for the Celtic peoples of the Iberian Peninsula. This treats the rise of urban settlements from the very humble beginnings of the first permanent settlements to the large urban oppida. I have added a fourth phase to this urbanization as I believe this is the final phase. In this phase the Celtiberian urban society is reorganized by the Romans to fit the Roman Empire. It is this change that had the historians to believe that the Celtiberian city was a Roman construct. Each phase is treated taking in account its archaeological, epigraphic, numismatic and written sources in order to understand the social changes that led to the development Celtiberian urban society. Key-words: Romanization, urbanization, Celtiberia, oppida. Resumen Por lo que respecta al tema del urbanismo celtíbero, tenemos que diferenciar dos discursos. Por un lado, tenemos el discurso prehistórico considerando Celtibéria prerromana como una sociedad urbana. Por otro lado, tenemos el discurso histórico, explicando la manera en que los romanos habrían creado la sociedad urbana de los celtíberos, es decir la Romanización de los Celtíberos. Esta tesina de maestría se enfoque en esta incongruencia. Por lo tanto, la pregunta principal es: ¿Qué es la relación entre Romanización y urbanización en Celtibéria? Primero, esta tesina presenta una reseña del discurso sobre el tema de Romanización, con el fin de entender los distintos modelos que introduce Curchin (2004). Además, este informe trata el tema de la relación entre Romanización y urbanización, para que se entienda la idea de la relación causal entre los dos ‘–zaciónes’. A continuación, se discuta el discurso del tema del urbanismo anciano, para entender lo que se considera como ‘urbano’. Además, este informe explica el modelo de la ciudad de consumo, de Weber (1922) y Finley (1977). Después, se conjuga este modelo con la teoría de los lugares centrales, introducido por Christaller (1930). La urbanización de los celtíberos podemos dividir en cuatro fases. Almagro-Gorbea (1994) introdujo las tres primeras etapas para el pueblo céltico en la Península Ibérica. Esta división trata el desarrollo de los asentamientos urbanos desde el inicio humilde de los asentamientos permanentes hasta las grandes oppida urbanas. He añadido una cuarta fase al desarrollo de urbanización, ya que parto de la idea de que el discurso necesita una fase final. En esta fase, la sociedad urbana celtibérica está reorganizada por los romanos para adaptarse al Imperio Romano. Es este cambio por lo que los históricos parten de la idea de que la ciudad celtibérica era una construcción romana. La tesina discuta cada fase considerando sus fuentes arqueológicas, epigráficas, numismáticas y escritas, para que se entienda los cambios sociales que habían llevado al surgimiento de la sociedad celtibérica urbana. Palabras claves: Romanización, Urbanización, Celtibéria, oppida. 1 Index Abstract ...................................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 3 Romanization: To be or not to be Roman ................................................................................ 14 The city as a central place ........................................................................................................ 28 From Celtiberian castros in four steps to Roman cities ........................................................... 37 First phase: Proto- (IX-VII) & Early Celtiberian (VII-VI centuries BCE) .......................... 40 Second Phase: Full Celtiberian (V-IV centuries BCE) ........................................................ 44 Third Phase: Late Celtiberian (III-II centuries BCE) ........................................................... 49 Fourth Phase: Roman Celtiberia (I century BCE – I CE) ..................................................... 66 Conclusions .............................................................................................................................. 88 Bibliography ............................................................................................................................. 93 Appendices ............................................................................................................................. 104 Appendix I: Timetable ........................................................................................................ 104 Appendix II: Maps .............................................................................................................. 105 Appendix III: Cities ............................................................................................................ 107 Appendix IV: Botorrita Plaques ......................................................................................... 109 2 -1- Introduction After the Second Punic war had raged on the Iberian Peninsula Rome had taken control.1 The Carthaginians were defeated and Rome had the possibility to expand its territory and incorporate the peninsula. The local peoples resisted, especially the Celtiberians. The First Celtiberian war was fought and Rome was victorious. Agreements were made between the victorious Roman general Tiberius Sempronius