Tartessian, an extinct language spoken in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula until around the 5th century BC, was prevalent in the Algarve and southern Alentejo regions of Portugal, as well as in southern Extremadura and western Andalusia in Spain. The name “Tartessian” originates from Tartessos, an ancient city located at the mouth of the Guadalquivir River in Andalusia.
Some scholars, like John T. Koch, propose that Tartessian was a Celtic language, yet this theory is contested by other linguists. While Tartessian might have integrated some Celtic features, it is believed that these were borrowed elements, suggesting that the language was either an isolate, linked to the extinct Iberian language, and/or related to Basque.
Written in an alphabet known as the Southwestern Script, Tartessian is documented in 95 inscriptions dating from the 7th to 5th century BC (Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age). This script is also referred to as the Tartessian Script, Southwest Paleohispanic script, or South Lusitanian Script. It is a combination of alphabetic and syllabic characters, believed to have evolved from the Phoenician alphabet, possibly influenced by the Greek alphabet.
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