La Palma - Nova Classis: a Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus encampment during the Second Punic War in Iberia

This paper presents the discovery of the oldest Roman camp on the Iberian Peninsula, a camp from the Second Punic War situated in La Palma (Tarragona, Spain), by the mouth of the River Ebro. Although no structural remains have been found, the site's strategic in- terest along with many coins, a...

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Bibliographic Details
Author: Noguera Guillén, Jaume
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2012
Country:España
Institution:Universidad de Barcelona
Repository:Dipòsit Digital de la UB
OAI Identifier:oai:diposit.ub.edu:2445/65166
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/2445/65166
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Excavacions arqueològiques
Campaments militars
Romans
Tarragona (Catalunya : Província)
Guerra Púnica II, 218-201 aC
Archaeological excavations
Military camps
Tarragona (Catalonia : Province)
Description
Summary:This paper presents the discovery of the oldest Roman camp on the Iberian Peninsula, a camp from the Second Punic War situated in La Palma (Tarragona, Spain), by the mouth of the River Ebro. Although no structural remains have been found, the site's strategic in- terest along with many coins, arms and fragments of amphoras and other objects indicate that a military camp was established here between 218 and 209 BC. Written sources, mainly Polybius and Livy, suggest that La Palma was where the legions of Publius Cornelius Scipio gathered before the attack on Carthago Nova in 209 BC. The paper ends by suggesting that La Palma may be the Roman camp of Nova Classis mentioned by Livy during the events of the war in 217 BC.