#gades

Greek historical records say that Tartessos was located at the mouth of the Guadalquivir River.  It was an important trading partner of the Phoenicians, who established the nearby city of Gades (modern-day Cadiz) in about 1100 BCE. Tartessos' wealth came from its mineral resources, including gold, silver and copper from mines in Andalusia's Rio Tinto area, some of which date back to 3000 BCE.  The anonymous Greek 'Pseudo-Scymnus', who wrote a geography of the ancient world in c. 90 BCE, described Tartessos as a 'famous town', whose riches came from the tin carried by the river from Celtica (the region in central Iberia settled by early Celtic peoples), as well as great quantities of gold and bronze.  Copper and tin were especially valuable commodities during this period.  They were the raw materials for the manufacture of bronze, which was used to make tools, pots and pans, belt buckles and other necessities.  Trading ships from Tartessos may also have discovered the route to the lucrative tin mines in Cornwall in the south-west of Britain. According to the Greek historian Herodotus, the most important king of Tartessos was Arganthonios, who ruled from 640 to 550 BCE.  His name means 'king of silver' in ancient Celtic.  Another Greek historian, Strabo (c. 63 BCE – c. 24 CE), tells the story of a lost Greek sailor who was regally entertained by Arganthonois and sent home laden with silver.