List of the Pre-Roman peoples of the Iberian Peninsula

This is a list of the people who lived on the Iberian Peninsula before the Romans arrived. The Iberian Peninsula includes modern countries such as Portugal, Spain, and Andorra, which the Romans called Hispania. Some of these groups were like families or tribes, while others were larger groups made up of many smaller tribes. Learning about these ancient peoples helps us understand the history and cultures that shaped Europe today.

Pre-Indo-European speakers

Aquitanians

• Airenosini/Arenosii
• Iacetani
• Vascones

Iberians

• Andosini - in the mountains of East Pyrenees southern slopes, in the high Segre river basin, area of modern Andorra.
• Ausetani - in the Osona region (old County of Osona), in the middle Ter river basin. Ausa (today's Vic) was their main centre.
• Bastetani/Bastuli - The biggest Iberian tribal confederation in area, they dwelt in a territory that included large areas of the mediterranean coast and the Sierra Nevada, in what are today parts of the modern provinces of Murcia, Albacete, Jaén, Almería, Granada and Málaga. Basti (today's Baza) was their main centre.
  • Mastieni - in and around Mastia territory (Cartagena).
• Bergistani/Bergusii - in the high Llobregat river basin, roughly in today's Barcelona province. Berga was their main centre. North of the Lacetani.
• Castellani - in the high Ter river basin, East Pyrenees southern slopes. North of the Ausetani.
• Cessetani - in the Tarraco region (roughly in today's central and east Tarragona province), in the mediterranean coastal region. Kese (Tarraco in Roman times, that would become the Hispania Tarraconensis capital), was their main centre.
• Ceretani/Cerretani - in Cerretana (today's Cerdanya/Cerdaña) and other East Pyrenees mountains southern slopes, also in the high Segre and Noguera rivers basins (tributaries of the Iberus - Ebro river), in the east part of Ribagorça. Libyca or Julia Libyca (today's Llivia) was their main centre. North of the Ilergetes and the Bergistani.
• Contestani - South of the Sucro (Xúquer) river and north of the Thader (Segura) river, in an area that today is roughly part of the Alicante/Alacant, Valencia, Murcia and Albacete provinces. A tribal confederation. East of the Bastetani.
  • Deitani - in and around Ilici territory (today's Elx/Elche)
• Edetani - North of the Sucro (Xúquer/Júcar) river and south of the Millars river, roughly in today's Valencia province. One of the biggest iberian tribes or tribal confederations. Edeta (Roman times Lauro, today's Lliria), to the northwest of Valencia, was their main centre, Arse (Saguntum in Roman times, today's Sagunto/Sagunt) was also in their territory. North of the Contestani and the Bastetani and south of the Ilercavones.
• Elisyces - a tribe that dwelt in the region of Narbo (Narbonne) and modern northern Roussillon. May have been either Iberian or Ligurian or a Ligurian-Iberian tribe.
• Ilercavones - in the low Iberus (Ebro) river basin to the Millars river along the mediterranean coast and to the inland towards the Sierra de Gúdar, in Ilercavonia. One of the biggest iberian tribes or tribal confederations. Hibera (Roman time Dertusa or Dertosa, modern time Tortosa) was their main centre. North of the Edetani, south of the Ilergetes, east of the Sedetani and west of the Cessetani.
• Ilergetes/Ilergetae - in the plains area of the middle and low Segre and Cinca rivers towards the Iberus (Ebro) river margins. One of the biggest Iberian tribes or tribal confederations. Iltrida (Ilerda in Roman times, today's Lérida/Lleida) was their main centre.
• Indigetes/Indigetae - in the low Ter river basin, East Pyrenees southern slopes, they occupied the far north east area of the Iberian Peninsula known as Hispania Tarraconensis, in the gulf of Empodrae (Empúries) and Rhoda (Roses), stretching up into the Pyrenees though the regions of Empordà, Selva and perhaps as far as Gironès, in what is roughly today's Girona Province. Indika/Indiga or Undika was their main centre. A tribal confederation: they were formed by four tribes.
• Lacetani - in the middle Llobregat river basin and surrounding hills. Northwest of the Laietani.
• Laietani - in the low Llobregat river basin, along a part of the Mediterranean coast roughly in what is today a part of the Barcelona province and Barcelona city. Laieta (Barcino in Roman times and Barcelona in modern times) was their main centre.
• Oretani? - In the high Baetis (Guadalquivir) river valley, eastern Marianus Mons (Sierra Morena) and southern area of today's La Mancha. They could have been an Iberian tribe, a Celtic one, or a mixed Celtic and Iberian tribe or tribal confederacy (and hence related to the Celtiberians). The Mantesani/Mentesani/Mantasani of today's La Mancha and the Germani (of Oretania) in eastern Marianus Mons (Sierra Morena) and west Jabalón river valley, sometimes are included in the Oretani but it is not certain if they were Oretani tribes.
• Sedetani - south of the Iberus (Ebro) river and west of the Guadalope river, roughly in the middle basin of the Iberus (Ebro). Salduie (Roman time Salduba and Caesaraugusta and modern time Zaragoza) was in their territory and they were possibly closely related to the Edetani. West of the Ilercavones.
• Sordones - in the Roussillon territory (Pyrénées Orientales Department, France), Ruscino (today's Château-Roussillon near Perpignan) was their main centre.
• Vescetani/Oscenses - In today's northern Aragon, east of Gállego river, in Sobrarbe, in and around Bolskan, later Osca (Huesca), and high Cinca River valley, Spain. They could also be related to the Vascones and therefore be related to the Aquitani speaking the Aquitanian language, or a mixed Iberian-Aquitanian tribe or tribal confederacy.
• Unknown named tribe or tribes in the Balearic Islands (formed by the Pityusic Islands and Gymnesian islands), may have been Iberians.

Indo-European speakers

The Iberian Peninsula was home to many groups of people who spoke Indo-European languages before the Romans arrived. These groups included various tribes and cultures.

Celts

Hispano-Celts/Celts of Hispania lived across large parts of the Iberian Peninsula, mainly in the northern, central, and western areas. They included groups like the Celtiberians, who lived in eastern areas such as the Iberian meseta and spoke a Celtic language. Other groups included the Western Hispano-Celts, who spoke Gallaecian and lived in western regions.

Belgae? included groups such as the Suessetani, who lived in far northwestern Aragon and southeastern Navarra in Spain.

Eastern Celts spoke Eastern Celtic or Noric languages. The Volcae were one such group that may have come from areas now known as Moravia.

Gauls (Galli) included tribes that may have moved south from Gaul into the Iberian Peninsula.

Celts? Para-Celts, Pre-Celtic Indo-Europeans?

Lusitanians-Vettones

The Lusitanians lived in areas south of the Douro River in Portugal and northwestern Extremadura in Spain. They spoke a language that was clearly Indo-European, but it is not certain if it was Celtic.

The Vettones lived in Ávila, Salamanca, and parts of Cáceres in Spain. Like the Lusitanians, they may have spoken a language related to Celtic but not exactly Celtic.

Turdetanians

The Turdetani lived in western Andalucia in Spain, around the Guadalquivir River valley. Some think they may have been Celtic, while others believe they spoke a language related to Celtic or were part of a non-Indo-European group related to the Iberians.