The Comarcal Museum of Daimiel hosted the inauguration of the IX Jornadas de Historia de Daimiel, a series dedicated to the research and dissemination of the municipality's historical and cultural heritage. This year's event coincides with the twentieth anniversary of the museum's opening.
The ceremony began with welcoming remarks from Diego Clemente, the museum's guide, who emphasised the significance of these jornadas as a platform for interaction between researchers and the public. He highlighted the initiative's role in sharing professional and academic findings, bringing the past closer to the community, and enhancing understanding of Daimiel's historical evolution and collective identity.
Clemente reminded attendees that the museum opened in April 2006 with the aim of preserving, explaining, and disseminating over 4,000 years of history. He also noted the museum's important contribution to cultural activities, knowledge generation, and citizen participation.
Following Clemente, Daimiel's mayor, Leopoldo Sierra, expressed gratitude to the researchers, speakers, and all those involved in making the jornadas possible. He underscored that understanding local history helps current residents appreciate the lives of their predecessors, the legacies they left, and the collective responsibility to pass this heritage on to future generations. The mayor announced that various activities will be held to celebrate the museum's twentieth anniversary, including plans for an open day allowing residents to explore the museum's facilities.
The inauguration concluded with a presentation by municipal archaeologist Miguel Torres, who focused on the latest excavation and research campaigns at Motilla del Azuer. Using slides featuring photographs of the findings, Torres shared significant results from the archaeological work and discussed new interpretative avenues that have emerged. Key topics included data gathered from a construction unit defined by a wall, hypotheses based on documented remains, and a burial discovered during the 2025 campaign.
Torres also reviewed various artefacts recovered from the site, including metal pieces, stone and bone tools, and notably, ceramics, which are crucial for understanding the daily, economic, and symbolic life of the prehistoric communities that inhabited the area.
Although the characterisation of the individual known as Lazuer was scheduled for this event, it was postponed due to technical issues that could not be resolved in time. This presentation has now been rescheduled for 20 November.
Another highlight of the evening was the presentation of the book from the VIII Jornadas de Historia, which compiles research shared in the previous edition. The publication covers various periods and aspects of Daimiel's history and heritage, from prehistory to the 20th century, including studies on early inhabitants, subsistence crises, epidemics, social transformations, as well as research on popular architecture, cultural heritage, urban memory, and local expressions.
