Prehistory in the Iberian peninsula begins with the arrival of the first Homo genus representatives from Africa, which may range from c. 1.5 million years (Ma) ago to c. 1.25 Ma ago, depending on the dating technique employed, so it is set at c. 1.3 Ma ago for convenience. The end of Iberian prehistory coincides with the first entrance of the Roman army into the peninsula, in 218 before Christ (BC), which led to the progressive dissolution of pre-Roman peoples in Roman culture. This end date is also conventional, since pre-Roman writing systems can be traced to as early as 5th century BC.
Paleolithic cave art
Altamira Cave ceiling
Chimiachas rock painting
The Dance of Cogul, tracing by Henri Breuil
The Iberian Peninsula, also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in South-western Europe, defining the westernmost edge of Eurasia. It is divided between Continental Portugal and Peninsular Spain, comprising most of the region, as well as Andorra, Gibraltar, and a small part of Southern France. With an area of approximately 583,254 square kilometres (225,196 sq mi), and a population of roughly 55 million, it is the second-largest European peninsula by area, after the Scandinavian Peninsula.
Satellite image of the Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula and Southern France, satellite photo on a cloudless day in March 2014
A model recreating the Chalcolithic settlement of Los Millares
An instance of the Southwest Paleohispanic script inscribed in the Abóbada I stele.