![]() ![]() One of the deterrents to underwater investigation This chapter summarises data on known prehistoric underwater sites, the results of recent offshore surveys and the potential for future research. 13.1), and recent projects dedicated to underwater survey of the continental shelf, which suggests considerable potential for future discoveries. There is a small but significant number of underwater finds ranging from the Palaeolithic to the Bronze Age, mostly discovered by chance (Fig. This has focused on naval history, with hundreds of shipwrecksĪnd other remains of trade and warfare from the Phoenician, Greek and Roman periods and from the Modern Age, when the Spanish Crown became one of the world’s main naval powers, all of which are well represented in the recently refurbished National Underwater Archaeology Museum ( Museo Nacional de Arqueología Subacuática-ARQUA) in Cartagena. This suggests considerable potential for research on the prehistoric settlementĪs a largely coastal country, it is not surprising that Spain enjoys a rich tradition in the field of underwater archaeology (Blánquez and Martínez Maganto 1993 Nieto 2009 Nieto and Bethencourt 2014). , a very high density of Mesolithic coastal sites and important cultures of the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages. From another point of view, the Iberian Peninsula, located at a geographic crossroads of Europe, was densely populated throughout prehistory and possesses some of the most important Palaeolithic sites in Europe, notably the caves of northern and south-eastern Spain and Gibraltar ![]() Moreover, some of the most fertile regions and largest concentrations of population are in coastal regions, so Spain can be defined as a maritime country. ![]() This includes Atlantic and Mediterranean-facing shores-1075 km in the Bay of Biscay, 1761 km facing the Atlantic OceanĪnd 2058 km along the Mediterranean Sea, plus 1428 km in the Balearic Islands and 1583 km in the Canary Islands. Occupying roughly five sixths of a large peninsula, Spain has a long coastline of some 7905 km. For convenience, the evidence from Portugal is considered separately in Chapter 14, and that from Gibraltar is included in this chapter. In terms of its Stone Age prehistory, it forms a single geographical entity. The Iberian Peninsula comprises the sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra and the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar. ![]()
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