Phoenician traders were active along the Catalan coast at the end of the 7th century BC. From the time of the founding of Ebussus, present day Eivissa (Ibiza), the Phoenicians and later the Carthaginians were a permanent presence. They did not found any important urban centres but they did have a decisive influence on the indigenous societies in the crystallisation of the Iberian world. One of their priority objectives for trade was the surrounding and inland areas of the Ebre River. The factory of Aldovesta, dating from the end of the 7th century and linked to this trade, has been found at Benifallet.