On the Founding of Seville. Recent Archaeological Data in the Context of the Phoenician Colonization of Tartessos

Abstract

A recent archaeological excavation carried out within the Reales Alcázares of Seville, at a plaza known as Patio de Banderas, uncovered several semi-subterranean structures dated between the 9th and 7th century BCE. The structures, dug in the most recent Upper Pleistocene terrace of the Guadalquivir, contained hearths for preparing meals, suggesting that they were possibly outdoor cooking installations situated in the southern periphery of the settlement and near the port area. The associated pottery remains mostly correspond to pots and other handmade containers, however, some pieces of wheel-thrown pottery from the same period have also been documented. This evidence proves that the founding of Seville was contemporaneous with the construction of the first sanctuary on the opposite bank of the Guadalquivir at Carambolo. Both sites constitute a Phoenician colonization model that is found in other river mouth areas along the southwestern Iberian coast. This same pattern occurs in the estuaries of the Guadiana river, at Huelva, and, likewise, in the Bay of Cadiz.