In 711 an Islamic Berber conquering party, led by Tariq ibn Ziyad, was sent to Hispania to intervene in a civil war in the Visigothic Kingdom. Prehistory Human fossils in Spain belong to modern humans (Homo sapiens), the Neanderthals (H. neanderthalensis), and even earlier members of the human lineage, possibly H. erectus or H. heidelbergensis. Tariq's army contained about 7,000 Berber horsemen, and Musa bin Nusayr is said to have sent an additional 5,000 reinforcements after the conquest. Drainage. There are five major soil types in Spain. Historical Summary of Spain Spain was invaded by Napoleon and saw struggles between an allied force and France, which the allies won, but this triggered independence movements among Spain’s imperial possessions. Land. The Arab Islamic conquest dominated most of North Africa by 710 AD. Spain. A large number of bones have been recovered from caves at Atapuerca, Burgos, which come from sediments that are at least 300,000 years old. Relief. Since the Pyrenees Mountains were such a significant barrier in the north, and Spain is just 9 miles … Crossing the Strait of Gibraltar, they won a decisive victory in the summer of 711 when the Visigothic King Roderic was defeated and killed on July 19 at the Soils.