Gibraltar History…steeped in our past; the result of an intertwining and moulding of civilisations and cultures which dates back many thousands of years, making Gibraltar History so fascinating. 

Roman Era

It is suggested that ancient mariners first arrived in the rock by the 8th / 9th century BC. Furthermore, some theorists also believe that this may have been as early as the 4th / 5th century BC. The mariners would leave gifts to the gods seeking the blessings of the almighty before sailing into the Atlantic and the unknown. Roman geographer Pomponius Mela was the first to document a description of Gibraltar around 45 AD.

Moorish Era

The Moorish invasion of Europe started in the Bay of Gibraltar. Here, Tarik Ibn Zeyad, assisted by Visigoths, landed on Tarik’s mountain – ‘Jebel Tarik’ – in 711AD. The rock of Gibraltar continued under Moorish occupation for over seven centuries until taken by the Spanish Kingdom of Castille for a brief period of 24 years between 1309-1333.

Spanish Era

Spanish forces occupied Gibraltar for twenty-four years in the early part of the 14th century. However, in 1333 it reverted to Moorish control after a bloody 18-week siege. Gibraltar did not finally become Spanish until 1462, when the Duke of Medina Sidonia recaptured it. The Spanish ‘Catholic Monarchs’ Isabella and Fernando were initially involved in securing Gibraltar as Crown Property of Castille in 1501. 

British Era

King Charles II of Spain died in 1700 without an heir, leaving several contenders to his throne. It was unclear who should succeed him, and so eventually, the War of the Spanish Succession broke out within Europe between 1701-1714.

As a result, in August 1704, British Marines and Dutch marines captured the Rock on behalf of Charles of Austria. Consequently, the war continued until 1713 until the Treaty of Utrecht concluded that Philip V, a grandson of the King of France, would inherit the Spanish throne. Furthermore, Gibraltar was ceded to Great Britain and Minorca as part of the treaty.

But Gibraltar continued to be subjected to bloody conflicts from Spain. In 1779 Spain and France began the longest and bloodiest siege in Gibraltar’s history: ‘The Great Siege, 1779-1783’. In 1782 work started on the famous ‘Great Siege Tunnels’. The Battle of Trafalgar was fought close to the Rock in 1805.

Neanderthal man -missed opportunity

In 1848 an ancient skull was discovered in Forbes’ Quarry, eight years earlier than an identical skull found in the Neander Valley near Dusseldorf- Neanderthal. Unfortunately, as the Gibraltar skull was not examined until 1862 when British Archaeologists visited Gibraltar, Gibraltar missed an excellent opportunity to claim the title. The Neanderthal Man, in reality, should have been called the ‘Gibraltar Woman’!