From the Baetis to the Tagus: traces of warfare in the Alentejo in the late 2nd/early 1st century BC

Roman literary sources are explicit that much of the Western Iberian Peninsula was in a near continual state of warfare during the later 2 centuries BC. However, due to the scattered and fragmentary nature of the surviving material, the severity of fighting and the events of individual campaigns are almost wholly unknown. In recent decades, archeological work in both Spain and Portugal has greatly contributed to our knowledge of Roman and Iberian interactions during this tumultuous period. Yet, despite its location at the heart of these military movements, the region of the Alentejo, Portugal, has been comparatively understudied. This paper aims to address this issue by providing an archaeological overview of sites within this regional and chronological context which display traces of conflict. Additionally, this first approach to the area will create a foundation for further study into both military and civilian movements prior to the incorporation of Western Iberia into the Roman provincial administration.