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Astur
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Astures were the original Indo-European inhabitants of the northwest area of Hispania that now comprises the modern autonomous community of Asturias and the modern provinces León, west of Lugo, Ourense, and northern Zamora (all in Spain), and west of Trás os Montes in Portugal. The name was used until the foundation of the Kingdom of Asturias. They spoke a Q-Celtic tongue[citation needed]. Most of their peoples, like the Luggones, worshipped the Celtic god Lugh, and references to other Celtic deities like Taranis or Belenos still remain in the toponomy of the places inhabitated by the Astures in Asturias. Other scholars believe they were related to Ligures.
There were clearly two different factions within the Astures, following the natural division made by the alpine karst mountains of the Picos de Europa: Transmontani (located in the modern Asturias, north of the Picos de Europa) and Cismontani (modern area of León, south of Picos de Europa). The Transmontani tribes were mainly located between the Navia River and the central massif of the Picos de Europa and Cismontani where surrounding Asturica Augusta, the main Astur town in Roman times, and the Astura river (modern Esla).
Some of the known transmontani astur peoples are: Luggones, Pesicos, Cilurnigos, Vincianos and Viromenicos. Other known cismontani tribes are: Lancienses, Orniacos and Supertios.
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The Astures were hunters and gatherers who also engaged in agriculture as a merely complementary activity. During a large part of the year they used the acorn as a staple food source, drying and powdering it and using the flour for a type of easily preserved bread. Their sown fields during the pre-Roman period were scarce. From them they harvested barley from which they produced beer, as well as other crops, like wheat and flax. Due to the scarcity of their agricultural production as well as their strong war-like character, they made frequent incursions into the lands of the Vacceos, who had a much more developed agriculture.
According to classic authors, their family structure was matrilineal, wherein the woman inherits and is the owner of property.
The Asturs lived in hill forts, established in strategic areas and built with round walls in today's Asturias and the mountainous areas of León, and with rectangular walls in flatter areas.
Along with their Cantabri neighbours, they were the last free tribes to fall prey to Romans in Hispania during the Astur-Cantabrian Wars (29- 19 BC). The Roman campaign against the Astures (the Bellum Asturicum) begun on 25 BC and lasted for ten years.