The site of a famed battle between Hannibal and a 100,000-strong hoard of angry Spanish tribesmen has been discovered by archaeologists.
It is thought the great clash may have occurred on the banks of the Tagus river between Driebes and Illana in Guadalajara in 220 BC, according to new research.
Academics claim the battle happened close to a settlement of the Carparthian tribe near Caraca, in central Spain.
Hannibal, the Carthaginian commander of folklore, is best known for marching 40 war elephants across the alps on his blood-thirsty quest to defeat Rome.
Two years before he famously traversed the Alps, the military commander, aged just 27, was warring with various Spanish tribes.
In 220BC he had successfully conquered Helmática – now Salamanca in the northwest of the country – after defeating the Vettones tribe.
Still bathing in the success of his victory, he was ambushed as he returned to his winter headquarters in Qart Hadasht, now modern-day Cartagena, in southeast Spain.
It is the site of this particular skirmish that has been a hot topic among historians and archaeologists alike, with two centuries of bickering failing to discern its location.
View of the Tagus River from the Caraca archeological site in Driebes, Guadalajara. It is thought this area may have been where Hannibal fought off 10,000 warring Spanish tribesmen
The site of a famed battle between Hannibal and a 100,000-strong hoard of angry Spanish tribesmen has been discovered by archaeologists. It was discovered on the banks of the Tagus river between Driebes and Illana in Guadalajara province and is believed to be the site
Hannibal’s legacy would last millennia, and to this day he is regarded as one of the most brilliant strategic wartime commanders of all-time.
The researchers, from the National Museum of Roman Art, say it was his ability to process the rapidly unfolding events and formulate a response that led to victory.
He stationed his mounted troops at fords in the river, where people from the hostile local Carpetani, Vettone and Olcade tribes would have to cross on foot.
Hannibal was outnumbered approximately four to one and knew an all-out melee would result in a bloodbath for his troops.
As well as placing cavalry soldiers at the fords, he ordered the rapid construction of a defensive wall which ran parallel to the river.
Here the prized elephants and the infantry hid, waiting to pick off any solders who dared to cross the river and avoid the fords.
Hannibal, the Carthaginian commander of folklore, is best known for marching 40 war elephants across the alps on his blood-thirsty quest to defeat Rome. Two years before he traversed the Alps, the military commander, aged just 27, was warring with various Spaniards
Many of the locals, fighting to avenge the destruction of their cities and crops, were killed by the cavalry or swept away by the strong current of the river.
Any who successfully passed these first defences were massacred by Hannibal’s troops.
A raided area nearby, called El Jardín hill, may also have been useful for Hannibal.
This spot, to the southeast of the main battle, would have provided a vantage point to the commander from which he could orchestrate his manoeuvres
It may also have been used to hide his escort and light cavalry, the researchers suggest.
When the general saw his rivals floundering and the victory within reach, he counterattacked.
WHO WAS HANNIBAL?
Hannibal, the Carthaginian commander of folklore, is best known for marching 40 war elephants across the alps on his blood-thirsty quest to defeat Rome
Hannibal, the Carthaginian commander of folklore, is best known for marching 40 war elephants across the alps on his blood-thirsty quest to defeat Rome.
He was the son of Hamilcar Barca, a Carthaginian commander during the First Punic War (264–241 BC).
His brothers and brothers-in-law were all also commanders in the army.
During his lifetime, there was great tension in Europe as Rome asserted it dominance over Italy and it surrounding nations.
Hannibal was central in the war against this expanding empire.
In 222BC Hannibal was fighting battles against Spanish tribes and the general, in his mid-20s at his point, was establishing himself as one of the finest strategic minds in the Carthaginian army.
In 218BC, the Second Punic War broke out following Hannibal’s attack on Saguntum, an ally of Rome.
It was then that Hannibal marched his war elephants across the Alps, inscribing himself into legend.
He occupied much of southern Italy for more than a decade, but the Romans were wary of his prowess and avoided direct confrontation when possible.
A tumultuous post-war life led to his eventual betrayal to the Romans and he committed suicide by poison around the year 180BC.
Hannibal’s legacy would last millennia, and to this day is regarded as one of the most brilliant strategic wartime commanders of all-time.
Various sites for this battle have been suggested in the past, with most drawing on the accounts of Greek historian, Polybius and Roman author, Titus Livius.
To track down the most likely location, the researchers — from Caraca-Driebes Archaeological Team, the National Museum of Roman Art and the Spanish Geological Mining Institute (IGME) — combined various sources of information.
They assessed historical accounts and investigated geological data and archaeological studies to find the most logical route Hannibal would have taken back to Qart Hadasht and which sites best fitted this description.
The authors of the study believe Hannibal was using an ancient route which connected Complutum, now Alcalá de Henares in Madrid region, to Carthago Nova, now Cartagena in Murcia.
The route crossed the Tagus River close to Driebes, not far from Carpentani fortified settlement of Caraca.
‘The decision to attack Hannibal there was made by the Carpetani, as they knew the area well and it would also give them a leadership role within the coalition formed with the Vettones and Olcades,’ explains Emilio Gamo, of the National Museum of Roman Art.
The report, titled Historical, Archaeological and Geological Data for the location of the Battle of Hannibal on the Tagus (220 B.C.), also found that it is likely the fords seen on the bend of the river today are likely in the same location as they were at the time of the battle.
Archaeological evidence reported in the study also speaks of silver and ceramics at the site which may belong to Hannibal’s warriors.