Intercultural events in the western Andalusia: The case of Huelva

Abstract : This study aims at examining the forms of the Phoenician presence in Huelva, ancient Onoba, and its hinterland in the period between the !th and "th centuries BCE. The arrival of the #rst Tyrian ships in the region is part of the stream of relationships between the Near East and Atlantic that were already widely established in the Final Bronze Age III. The Phoenician interest in Huelva comes early with the acquisition of silver. The immense pro#t represented by the sale of the precious metal in the most important Mediterranean and Near Eastern markets justify the quality and intensity of the Phoenician presence in the indigenous settlement, which was mainly found in the port area where the principal commercial and productive activities were concentrated. The deep integration that existed between the local and Phoenician communities is a very complex phenomenon that also a$ects the world of ideas and religion. According to the proposed reconstruction, the sanctuaries erected in the Tartessian territory became the "meeting places" where the exchange of goods was accompanied by the transfer of knowledge, both in technology and more properly in ideas. Contrarily to the alleged foundation of a Phoenician colony in Huelva during the Orientalizing period which was distinct from the indigenous site, this paper will show that the early Phoenician presence in the region led to the formation of a mixed, deeply integrated community at elite level.