On colonialism and other demons. Phoenicians in the South of the Iberian Peninsula between the 9th and 7th/6th centuries B.C.

Abstract

By the end of the 9th century BC, Phoenicians set up permanent settlements around the Mediterranean Basin. This study aims at discussing how European colonialism has influenced the way in which we understand Phoenician contact with native populations. Because Mediterranean archaeology has always paid more attention to the colonizers than to the relationships established with the people who lived in those territories, this paper starts with an analysis of colonial terminology to evaluate its roots and the impact of European imperialism in concepts such as “colony” and “orientalizing” period. This is followed by an examination of postcolonial views of cultural contact situations through material culture in South Iberia between the 9th-7/6th centuries BC. The paper culminates with an appraisal of the relationship between Phoenicians and the inhabitants of South Iberia, questioning Phoenician “colonialism” during that period.