.JPG) | |
  Toscanos Shown within Spain | |
| Location | Vélez,Spain |
|---|---|
| Region | Andalusia |
| Coordinates | 36°44′27″N4°6′59″W / 36.74083°N 4.11639°W /36.74083; -4.11639 |
| Part of | Phoenician colonies |
| History | |
| Founded | 8th century BC |
| Satellite of | Phoenicia,Carthage |
Toscanos (inSpanishCortijo de Los Toscanos) is the name of anAndalusiancortijo nearVélez-Málaga in southernSpain,[1] and was the location of an earlyPhoenician settlement.[2][3][4][5][6]
The Phoenician name of the settlement is unknown. The modern toponym of Toscanos is due to Italian migrants who arrived in the area in the 18th century during the reign ofCharles III.[1]
Toscanos is located on a flattened hill overlooking the mouth of theVelez River at theMediterranean. The hill is on the right bank of the river.[7][8][9][10]
At the height of Toscanos's prosperity around 700 BC, thehumidity index was higher than at present and large forests covered thePenibetic Mountains.[11]
This settlement was one of a number of such colonies established in southernSpain around the 8th century BC to control trade with theIberian settlements in the interior.[12] The town does not seem to have been a major center for trade or industry involving any kind of metallic ores, but there aremurex remains from the processing ofdye and evidence of fishing fortuna,sturgeon, andeels as well as the associated processing ofsalting and preserved sauces likegarum.[11] They seem to have principally traded in agricultural goods, raisingcattle,sheep, andgoats; producingolive oil andwine; andhunting deer,boar, and wild cats.[13]
Toscanos began with an orderly street plan covering about 2.5 hectares (6 acres)[14] and a fortified perimeter.[15] From the middle of the 8th century BC, "large and luxurious" houses as wide as 15 meters (50 ft).[12] In the 7th century BC, there was growth throughout the Phoenician colonies in Spain and Toscanos saw the construction of a great central "storehouse". The variety of surrounding homes suggests a diverse settlement of families including a mercantile elite, artisans, laborers, and slaves.[12] Around 635 BC, the town added a new fortified district and had a population between 1000 and 1500.[16] It covered about 12 hectares (30 acres), 50% larger than the settlement atAgadir (Cadiz),[14] and traded withGreece andCyprus.[16]
Along with other Phoenician colonies, it underwent various crises during the 6th century BC. The settlement in particular suffered a collapse in its trade with the interior,[17] and the large storehouse and grand houses around it ceased to be used in the early part of the century.[16] The central settlement was abandoned around 550 BC[16] and the rest were finally abandoned forCerro del Mar on the other side of theVelez.[18] With the rise ofCarthaginian control over the Phoenician diaspora, political and commercial power in the area concentrated itself at nearbyMalakat (Málaga).[19]
Asteroid96086 Toscanos, discovered by astronomers during the secondPalomar–Leiden Trojan survey in 1973, was named for the archaeological site.[20]
Toscanos é o toponimo de uma granja ou herdade andaluza (cortijo), onde existe um pequeno grupo de edificios agricolas, cujo actual proprietario parece descender de imigrantes italianos que, secundo a tradicao, ali se teriam estabelecido, vindos da Toscana no seculo XVIII, durante o reinado do Carlos III.