Evidence of occupation In

the time of Tarik Found

The landing of Tarik-ibn-Ziyad in Gibraltar in AD 711 has been regarded as a landmark in the history of Europe,having established the conquest of al-Andalus by Arabs and Berbers.

shrine, may weU now throw new light on this question.

Not all historical authorities have agreed with the date of the precise landing in Gibraltar, with claims from other parts of the coast of southern Iberia having been made at different times. Until now all available evidence has been from original texts, usually Arab ac counts, written centuries later.

The archaeological evidence from Gibraltar,based on systematic excavations since 1996, has sup ported the historical accounts of an early city in the 11th century and subsequent expansion in the 14th century but there has been no evi dence ofan earlier occupation.This has not been regarded as surpris ing as an early occupation force seems to have rapidly moved north to conquer territory and probably did not spend any time or effort in construction.

Gorham's Cave on the eastern coast of Gibraltar, so well known for its prehistory and Phoenician

As part ofa compre hensive dating pro gramme funded by the Government of Gi braltar and the Euro pean Community un der the PalaeoMed Project of the Interreg IIIB Medocc Pro gramme new dates are being obtained from all levels in the sequence at Gorham's Cave.

A recent sample of charcoal sent for AMS radiocarbon dating from the upper levels at Gorham's and analysed by Beta Analytic Radiocar bon Dating Laboratory in Florida, USA, has produced a date in the narrow range of AD 650-AD 780. The median date falls at AD 715, remarkably close to AD 711!

The date demonstrates, for the first time, that there was a human presence on the Rock close to the time of the initial Arab-Berber con quest. It is likely that the date cor responds to a fire lit within the cave at the time,or close to,the conquest although a late Visigothic presence, equally interesting and previously undocumented, cannot be dis carded.

Once again, the unique value of Gorham's Cave in the history of Gibraltar and, more widely of the world, has been demonstrated.