Tartessos – the legendary lost city of Andalucia
It is well-known amongst scholars of ancient writing that an ancient city once existed at the mouth of the Guadalquivir River in Andalucia. It is said that long ago the present day Guadalquivir had two mouths and the city of Tartessos was built upon an island in between them.
Today there is only one river mouth and it is believed that low lying Tartessos succumbed to tsunami activity and sunk out of sight below the marshland of the Donana National Park.
Much was written about Tartessos through the centuries. There are several biblical references to what is believed to be a once great and rich city. Historical accounts cite Tartessos as having been a peaceful kingdom, perhaps the last powerful and rich place on earth that understood the futility of war.
The last king of Tartessos was called Argantonio, who is said to have been extremely rich but generous with his fortune and a peaceful ruler. Some deem Argantonio as a naïve king, who paid the price for his pacifist philosophy by being unprepared when Tartessos was attacked and destroyed by the Carthaginians in 500 BC. Tartessos never recovered from the attack. The Romans invaded the city and ousted the Carthaginians. Shortly after the invasion the city was lost through a natural disaster.
So where exactly was the fabled city of Tartessos and who is trying to find it?
Not far from the Andalucian/Algarve border, Tartessos is believed to be underneath the marshland area of the Donana National Park in the province of Cadiz. Subsidiary towns and villages of the kingdom of Tartessos have been discovered in the region, which date back to the 8th Century BC. Tartessos itself however continues to remain elusive to the searching archaeologists.
Sebastian Celestino has led archaeological teams in the search and is convinced that the city lies under the marshes of the Donana Natural Park. There are many who believe that Tartessos is Plato’s lost city of Atlantis, whilst others deem the advanced Kingdom of Minoa in Crete was the domain that Plato referred to. As Plato expressed Atlantis lay beyond the Pillars of Hercules at Gibraltar and Tangiers, Tartessos it seems is a more likely site for a claim on the lost city of Atlantis.
Meanwhile much fun and cultural enlightenment can be have meandering round the magnificent metropolis of Cadiz and the ancient marvels that influence this Andalucian city’s landscape.