WATER CONTROL AND CEREAL MANAGEMENT ON THE BRONZE AGE IBERIAN PENINSULA: LA MOTILLA DEL AZUER

Archaeological research conducted in the La Mancha region (central area of the Iberian Peninsula) has made it possible to identify motillas. This specific type of archaeological site consists of a central fortification surrounded by an inhabited area. They appear in high densities throughout the plains of this area, distributed at regular intervals and located in places where the phreatic level is closest to the surface and the water has low salinity. The strong relationship between sites and water has subsequently been supported by fieldwork, especially in the Motilla del Azuer settlement, where a complex well that was cut into the natural terrace to reach the phreatic level has been documented. Research has also demonstrated that the large‐scale storage of cereals was another significant function. The quantity and capacity of the different storage systems documented in two large enclosures suggest that these sites were engaged in the control and management of cereals.