Tartessus | Iberian Peninsula, Phoenicians, Trade | Britannica (original) (raw)

ancient region and town, Spain

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Also known as: Tarshish, Tartessos

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Tartessus, ancient region and town of the Guadalquivir River valley in southwestern Spain, probably identical with the Tarshish mentioned in the Bible. It prospered from trade with the Phoenicians and Carthaginians but was probably destroyed by the latter about 500 bc. The exact site of the town is not known, but archaeological evidence suggests it may have been near present-day Sevilla (Seville).