7 th ▁century ▁BC , ▁the ▁I ber ian ▁Pen ins ula ▁consisted ▁of ▁complex ▁agr arian ▁and ▁urban ▁civil izations , ▁either ▁Pre - C elt ic ▁or ▁C elt ic ▁( such ▁as ▁the ▁L us it ani ans , ▁Cel ti ber ians , ▁Gal la e ci , ▁Ast ures , ▁C elt ici ▁and ▁others ), ▁the ▁cult ures ▁of ▁the ▁I ber ians ▁in ▁the ▁eastern ▁and ▁southern ▁zones ▁and ▁the ▁cult ures ▁of ▁the ▁Aqu itan ian ▁in ▁the ▁western ▁portion ▁of ▁the ▁Py ren ees . ▁ ▁As ▁early ▁as ▁the ▁ 1 2 th ▁century ▁BC , ▁the ▁Pho en icians , ▁a ▁th al ass ocr atic ▁civil ization ▁originally ▁from ▁the ▁East ▁Mediter rane an , ▁began ▁to ▁explore ▁the ▁coast line ▁of ▁the ▁pen ins ula , ▁interact ing ▁with ▁the ▁metal - rich ▁communities ▁in ▁the ▁south west ▁of ▁the ▁pen ins ula ▁( cont empor arily ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁semi - my th ical ▁T art ess os ). ▁Ar ound ▁ 1 1 0 0 ▁BC , ▁Pho en ician ▁mer ch ants ▁founded ▁the ▁trad ing ▁col ony ▁of ▁G ad ir ▁or ▁G ades ▁( mod ern ▁day ▁C ád iz ). ▁Pho en icians ▁established ▁a ▁permanent ▁trad ing ▁port ▁in ▁the ▁G ad ir ▁col ony ▁circa ▁ 8 0 0 ▁BC ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁the ▁increasing ▁demand ▁of ▁silver ▁from ▁the ▁Ass y rian ▁Empire . ▁▁ ▁The ▁se af aring ▁Pho en