Archaeology, Hydrogeology and Environment in the Bronze Age of La Mancha: the Motillas Culture

The Culture of the Motillas from the Bronze Age of La Mancha is probably the oldest example in Europe of supply through groundwater, with wells built to reach the water table and take advantage of this water treasure that La Mancha keeps in its subsoil. The inhabitants of La Mancha from 4,000 years ago were already empirically aware of the existence of this resource. They settled their villages around the wells that provided them with abundant, good-quality water at a time when a long, arid period left the superficial channels practically without water.

Currently, 32 motillas are inventoried: 29 in the province of Ciudad Real and one in each of the provinces of Toledo, Cuenca and Albacete.

Then, as now, the inhabitants of La Mancha looked to groundwater for the solution to their water needs. Thus, it should be noted that the famous Aquifer System 23, now divided into three masses of groundwater according to the current Hydrological Plan of the Guadiana river basin, has been used by humans practically continuously for 4,000 years.