Belli

The Belli, also designated Beli or Belaiscos, were an ancient pre-Roman Celtic[1] Celtiberian people who lived in the modern Spanish province of Zaragoza from the 3rd Century BC.

In this script and language they inscribed the characteristic Celtiberian 'hospitality tokens' which are small bronze objects, in two halves, each half being retained by people who stood in hospitality relationship to one another.

[8] During the 3rd-2nd centuries BC, the Belli joined the Celtiberian confederacy alongside the Arevaci, Lusones and Titii, with whom they developed close political and military ties[9] – in 153 BC the Numantines even elected the Belli General Caros as leader of the Celtiberian coalition army that ambushed the Consul Quintus Fulvius Nobilior at the battle of Vulcanalia (Ribarroya), at the Baldano river valley in the beginning of the first Numantine War.

[14][15] During that conflict, the Belli found themselves being gradually pushed back from the upper Jiloca by the Edetani who seized Beligiom, Belgeda, Damania and Orosis, therefore losing all the lands east of the Huerva River.

Around 72 BC they and their Titii allies merged with the pro-Roman Uraci, Cratistii and Olcades tribes to form the Late Celtiberian people (Latin: Celtiberi) of romanized southern Celtiberia.

The Iberian Peninsula in the 3rd century BC.
The extent of the Belli people is shown in ochre (darker) yellow.
Example of a bronze hospitality token in the Celtiberian Celtic language