Abstract:

The continuous excavation campaigns carried out during the last two decades in numerous Phoenician and Carthaginian sites in southern Iberia have turned this region into the greatest exponent, both quantitatively and qualitatively, for the examination of Phoenician-Punic fortifications. In this contribution we will analyze, from various case studies, the origin, composition and evolution, either from a historical, ideological or poliorcetic perspective, of urban Phoenician-Punic fortifications. Our intention is to deepen the knowledge of what the implantation of various groups of contingents from the Eastern Mediterranean on the coasts of the south of the Peninsula meant for the development of military architecture and siege warfare in Iberian lands. At the same time, the possible western Phoenician influences on Iberian fortifications will be assessed, in order to determine which constructive or defensive elements are exogenous or local inventions.