Definition: The modern port city of Cadiz (originally called Gadir or Gardes) in the Andalucia region of Spain was a Phoenician colony of Tyre founded at least by the 9th century BC, and perhaps as early as the 11th. The Rio Tinto silver mines appear to have been the driving force for Phoenician occupation of the region. Carthage controlled southern Spain in the 5th through 2nd centuries BC, and in 206 BC, the Romans took the city and established a fort there. Most recently, at the mouth of the Guadalquivir River, the German historian Rainer Kühne believes there are ruins in the muddy area of Marisma de Hinojos that may have inspired Plato's Atlantis story.
This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Sources for the term include the references listed on the front page of the Dictionary, and the websites listed in the sidebar. Any mistakes are the responsibility of Kris Hirst.
This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Sources for the term include the references listed on the front page of the Dictionary, and the websites listed in the sidebar. Any mistakes are the responsibility of Kris Hirst.
Also Known As: Gadir, Gardes
