The archaeological excavations carried out in our municipality have brought to light settlements from the Lower Paleolithic to the Bronze Age.
The first population was based on Acheulean ensembles, as evidenced by terrace formations along the Iro River and in coastal areas. This occupation continued during the Neolithic period with the small villages known as Las Mesas and La Esparragosa, where new types of agricultural production were developed. A subsequent demographic increase led to more settlements in the Upper Neolithic and the Chalcolithic (La Nava, El Fontanal), and large Copper Age settlements (El Castillo, Las Lagunetas). Archaeological remains from the Bronze Age show evidence of long-lasting coastal and inland enclaves (El Castillo, Torre del Puerco). Las Mesas was steadily populated from the Neolithic until the Bronze Age. All the original pieces displayed in Room 1 of our permanent exhibit, mainly devoted to the early settlers of our territory, are from those settlements.
Following a display of minerals from the area, carved stones show us at one glance how use by human beings transforms reality and how technical advancement creates truly new objects that improved the lives of our territory’s inhabitants. The polished stone for which the Neolithic era is named and ceramics speak of a higher level of development in which agriculture, which allowed settlers to assure their subsistence to a certain degree, enabled them to spend time on other pursuits: a concern for beauty beyond mere utility, interest in a possible supernatural life, and so on.
It is a reflection on our ability to adapt to our surroundings and to adapt our environment to our needs. And it is also a reflection on humans, who, once thirst and hunger are slated, seek to fulfill additional needs.
