The
motillas were constructed in the period of BCE–1200 BCE. Their use started at the time of the
4.2 kiloyear event. They were needed as a consequence of severe
aridification that affected this wide geographical area. They were also used as a control center of agricultural resources. They were no longer used after the end of the
Argaric civilization. Recently, archaeologists have suggested that these structures are mainly connected with water management, and agricultural production: "Motilla del Azuer contains the oldest well known from the Iberian Peninsula and the archaeologists suspect that the walled enclosures were therefore used to protect and manage the livelihood of the people living in the settlement: To secure the well’s water, to store and process cereals on a large scale, to occasionally keep the livestock, and to produce pottery and other domestic artefacts." Analysis by Moreno et al. (2014) verified a relationship between the geological substrate and the spatial distribution of the “motillas” who reported the first
paleohydrogeological interdisciplinary research in La Mancha. According to the authors: "Recent studies show that the “motilla” sites from the Bronze Age in La Mancha may be the most ancient system of groundwater collection in the Iberian Peninsula. ... These were built during the
Climatic Event 4.2 ka cal BP, in a time of environmental stress due to a period of severe, prolonged drought." ==Gallery==