Celtiberia population estimate

From the book  ENTRE Celtas e Íberos. Las poblaciones protohistóricas de las Galias e Hispania/ editado por Luis Berrocal-Rangel y Philippe Gardes. — Madrid : Real Academia de la Historia : Casa de Velázquez, 2001. — 248 p. : il. ; 30 cm. —(Bibliotheca Archaeologica Hispana ; 8).

Note, the Celtiberia here refers only to the proper Celtiberian tribes, and not all the Celts of Iberia.

Abstract

The demographic analysis of the Celtiberian is a hard question. To solve it we have analysed the ethnoarchaeological data and we have contrasted it with archaeological data, as the surface of the known Celtiberian civitates and oppida. We have contrasted the results with the few informations transmitted by classical historians and geographers, as the numbers of warriors in Celtiberian armies and the extension of the populi and civitates of Celtiberia after Plinius and Ptolomeus. As conclusion of the analysis, we can consider that Celtiberia, extended about 45.000 km2 had a theoretical demographic density of about 5/6 h./km2 in mountain areas, but could reach 8/10 h./km2 in the best areas, as river valleys and peripheral plains. These results allow us a calculation of the total Celtiberian population between 250.000 h. and about 350.000/450.000 h., a bigger and more logical number. The first demographic anlysis of the Celtiberia offers a interesanting information and very useful for further studies on Archaeology and Ancient History and Geography, and also to better understand the territorial and urban planning, the demography and the sociology of the Celtiberians.