The perfect sample of “Manchego Bronze”

The stain is Wine landof cheese and of Better olive oil in the world. However, to the east of Ciudad Real There are not only rare earthsbut an endless plain that is occasionally dotted with the so -called “rings”. They seem mounds of land that rise on the esplanade, but they are really fortifications strategically built during the Bronze age.

The peculiarity is that they are castles raised up, but also down, with some entering more than 20 meters on Earth to protect the most valuable resource in the region: water. And in a town in Daimiel is the largest well of the antiquity of the Iberian Peninsula.

The rings. Between 2,200 and 1,500 BC on the Peninsula several cultures lived. In part of Castilla-La Mancha, the Manchego bronzeknown as the ‘MOTALLY CULTURE‘. In their day, these riot were fortified settlements with a circular shape that served both to house the sedentary population and to protect themselves to invasions and, above all, to control a resource as valuable as the water of the underground wells

After their abandonment, these fortifications were dispersed by the Manchega geography and, over the centuries, they were covered by land and vegetation, forming those ‘motorcycles’ on the ground.

Organization. There were rigs of various sizes, but generally These strengths had a diameter of between 30 and 50 meters. They were like a medieval protocastillo, with a series of concentric rings that acted as a wall and were available around a central tower. Like the strengths that were built in high areas to have a better strategic vision, the rigs were built around deep wells.

The water, next to the grain, was the resource that was kept and protected in these ribs, and something curious is that there was a distance of a few kilometers between one and the other, so the groups could maintain visual contact between them. The population lived both within the fortress and its surroundings and it is estimated that the more cultivation controlled and more permanent was the presence of water, the more power the leaders had and the more influence the motilla in question.

Speculating. There is a lot of space for the speculationsince the largest rigs would be those that were nerve centers for trade, while the smallest around them could be the home of one or more families that served as advanced points for the control of the territory, grass, crops and combat against who would like to take that great nerve center. Numerous weapons have been found in the tombs, so it is assumed that they were communities in permanent conflict.

Azuer Motilla. And, among all the ribs, the crown jewel is that of Azuer. It was declared a cultural interest in 2013 and is unique due to its dimensions. It fulfilled the same defensive and commercial functions as the rest of the settlements of this type, but if for something it caught the attention – and it continues to do it – it is because of its dimensions.

The central tower reached 10 meters high, so it was very visible in an exceptionally flat landscape. On the other hand, the well excavated to reach the water table at a depth of between 15 and 20 meters. In times of prolonged drought, this well could supply water to the inhabitants and, when it rained, the reserves reloaded again.

It is estimated that this fortification is that allowed an enormous agricultural development in the region and the reason for its cultural interest is that it is considered the oldest well in the Peninsula.

Late discovery. The nineteenth and twentieth centuries were years when we worried about digging up the past. We made numerous and important discoveries that reflected the passage of the civilizations that preceded us and, being the rigs of some of them. It occurred at a late point, since it was during the last quarter of the last century when archaeologists began to dig up and study these constructions.

Due to its dimensions, that of Azuer Motilla He was the most investigated in the entire age of the Bronze de la Mancha, developing Since 1974 more than one fortnight of excavation campaigns. And it is curious that, at the beginning of the excavations, the researchers thought it was funeral mounds.

Manchegas fortifications. The Azuer is the deepest, but in the region there are numerous fortifications of this type. Currently, there are 29 in the province of Ciudad Real, as well as one in Toledo, another in Cuenca and one more in Albacete. The problem is that, although possible rigs to be investigated, it is complicated Incorporate new structures into the list.

The reason is that they are difficult to locate. We talk about constructions with between 3,000 and 4,000 years, so human action and erosion have been able to end the characteristic form of mound and it is easy for us to overlook those that remain buried. The efforts have also concentrated to the Azuer Motilla. Its conservation is made, in part, thanks the price of tickets -10 euros per person- visit it. You can also do a Virtual route.

Earrings. Therefore, it is very likely that little by little more riots are added to the list, but these peculiar strengths are not the only structures of the Bronze Age in La Mancha. It is known that they coexisted alongside height settlements called ‘Morras’, stationary cabins called ‘Fields of Hoyos’ and some sacred places with stars -oriented constructions, such as Bocapucheros In Almagro. Therefore, if you catch you close, it is a different activity and we can rarely visit something with 4,000 years behind you.

Images | Azuer Motilla Guided Tour, Rodrigum

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