Abstract:

Archaeological interventions in L’Assut (Tivenys, Baix Ebre) and La Cella (Salou, Tarragona) have allowed us to analyze trade dynamics between pheno-punic world and indigenous communities in a wide region in the south of Catalonia. While L’Assut data offer a broad chronological space, we may notice a different evolution of the territory of the lower Ebro respect to the neighbouring region. The settlements of the Ebro have an older tradition in contacts with the pheno-punic world, highlighting an early presence of Phoenician material, with a smaller presence of Punic materials. By contrast, in the neighbouring coastline initial contacts are sporadic, but from the founding of Ebusus we can observe a gradual increase in the presence of Punic pottery, becoming a majority among the registration of imports. The Roman conquest will mean redirecting markets towards the Italian orbit.