February 11, 2025
Pete and I lined up for a tour of the Gadir ruins excavation mid-day. You had to sign up, but the tour was free.
Gadir was a satellite city in the Phoenician’s large array of city-states. One of the major city-states of Tyre was located in today’s Lebanon. Tyre (founded in 2750 BC) has extensive Phoenician (Tyrian) ruins which are much more ancient than Gadir. Although there was a king, he was treated as a God figure and didn’t control the city-states economically or politically.
The city of Gadir was one of the oldest Phoenician settlements in the West, European area of the Mediterranean.
Phoenician politics and society was structured around commerce and controlled by merchant aristocrats who formed councils of government in each city that limited the power of the king.
The site is at the highest point of the ancient island of Erytheia, the smallest of the ancient archipelago belonging to Cadiz. The site is a combination of different structures from different occupations of the area, from Phoenicians in the 9th century BC to ruins of a Roman fish factory from 1st Century B.C. to 2nd Century A.D.
The area consists of 8 Phoenician homes, terraces and two cobbled streets, plus the Roman fish factory.
The Phoenician’s lived in, what to us are tight quarters. I had to look up how large the people were and found that they were five feet tall give or take a few inches.
1st Century B.C. to 2nd Century A.D.
Some researchers think the limpets were used in the production of garum, a fish sauce that was popular throughout the Roman Empire.
Well, that’s it on Gadir and the Phoenicians for now. Lots of interesting information about them online, their creation of a written language adopted and modified by the Greeks and Romans. Their prominence in the Bible and Greek mythology. For more information: https://www.ancient-origins.net/history/phoenician-city-tyre-rich-history-industry-mythology-and-conflict-002609
February 13, 2025
A beautiful bright day with promised weather in the high 60’s. The perfect day to walk to the small island that hosts Castillo de San Sebastián. It is connected to the main part of Cádiz by an causeway that allows access at high tide.
As in most places in this part of the world, more recent structures are built over the older and ancient. In this case local history from a Andalusia website has this small isle as the site of a temple to Kronos. Kronos was the Greek god of the Titans and father of Zeus. Then came a Muslim watch tower, in 1457 a Venetian ship took refuge at the isle due to a plague epidemic. The sailors are said to have built a chapel to San Sebastián in thanks to the kindness of the people of Cádiz. In 1706 construction on the castle started.
Looking back on the City of Cádiz most of the buildings to the right are modern condos with a emphasis on sun, sea and beach. We are located to the left in the Historic area of the city where it is easy to walk to places of interest, restaurants and shops.
As we were walking to the Castillo I noticed that our neighborhood Parish had its doors open. Poor Pete….
This Parish of San Anthony of Padua on Plaza de Antonio is filled with the most amazing wood carvings. We pass through this plaza daily and have never seen it open.
In a little side chapel we found beautiful paintings, one which is startling as one of it’s subjects has sparked much debate.
Ending this post on a mystery…
Tomorrow we are taking it easy and having a late lunch at a neighborhood Tapas bar and then going for a walk and feeding the pigeons our old bread.
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