PALEOAMBIENTE Y SOCIEDAD EN LA EDAD DEL BRONCE DE LA MANCHA: LA MOTILLA DEL AZUER

Abstract

A paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic  reconstruction  of the Motilla del Azuer’s (Daimiel, Ciudad Real) area during the Bronze Age is proposed from a paleo-palynological study. Throughout the site sequence, which ranges between 2200 and 1350 cal BC and it is divided into four main phases,  the 4.2 ka cal  BP event  is recorded.  Several  climatic  oscillations  in an exceptionally arid period (phase II between  2000  and 1800 cal BC) are documented  in. New arguments  are presented to show the importance of the arid climate and the special hydrological features of La Mancha  as factors that partially  explain  the construction  of the “motillas”,  i.e. settlements structured around wells exploiting the water table and whose circular fortifications exercised a clear control on subsistence production and water management in La Mancha territory.