The Cayetano de Mergelina archaeological museum in Yecla

150,000 years of history and pre-history at the archaeological museum of Yecla

The Cayetano de Mergelina archaeological museum in Yecla documents history and pre-history in the Altiplano area in the north of the Region of Murcia between approximately 150,000 years ago and the Late Middle Ages, with the exhibits reaching the 15th century AD and tracing the story of human habitation in Yecla until just a few hundred years ago.

The 500 square metres of exhibition rooms are divided into the following thematic areas:

1.      Pre-history and the sites of Monte Arabí,  

2.      Proto-history or pre-Roman history at the site of Cerro de los Santos,

3.      The Romanization of Yecla and Torrejones, and

4.      The Middle Ages and the Cerro del Castillo, Yecla under Moorish and Christian rule.

The museum occupies an 18th-century building which was once the Palacio de los Ortega, the palatial residence of the Ortega family. In the 19th century this property was acquired by the Portillo family, and it was remodeled by Justo Millán Espinosa in 1888. The stained glass windows on which the coats of arms of the family can be seen are dated 1909, and were made in San Sebastián.

The building came into the hands of the Town Hall of Yecla in 1983, and it has since been reformed to house not only the archaeological museum but also the municipal library and historical archive.

The exhibition areas

Pre-history and the sites of Monte Arabí

Human pre-history in the Iberian Peninsula began around 700,000 years ago in the Lower Paleolithic, when the first hominids appeared, and lasted until the first written texts were produced in this part of the world after the arrival of Phoenician and Greek colonizers in approximately 800 BC.

Exhibits from pre-history consist mainly of tools made from stone and bone, rudimentary buildings, and rock and cave art.

The first period of human pre-history is the Paleolithic, when hominids were hunter-gatherers living a nomadic existence. Tools were made out of stone, and fire was one of the crucial elements of early civilization: remains from this period have been found in Yecla at La Fuente Principal and El Madroño (approximately 30,000 years ago).

Then came the Neolithic, when changes in climate favoured the first appearance of cattle farming and agriculture, leading to the establishment of fixed settlements, and one of these was located at the Monte de los Secos in Yecla. In addition, the shelters of Monte Arabí contain paintings from this period, dating from the 4th and 5th millennia BC.

Next were the Metal Ages, during which Man developed the ability to fashion tools and weapons from copper, bronze and then iron. In the municipality of Yecla around a dozen settlements from the three millennia before the birth of Christ have been discovered, including those at El Arabilejo and Cerro de la Campana.

The most important site in Yecla related to pre-history is Monte Arabí, in the north of the municipality, where the shelters of Cantos de Visera and Cueva del Mediodía contain rock paintings which are included in the World Heritage cave painting sites of the Spanish Mediterranean. The paintings date from the 4th to the second millennium BC, and most belong to the Levantine style of primitive rock art.

At the peak of the Arabilejo are the remains of an ancient fortified settlement containing around 20 huts. It has been established that the inhabitants engaged in agriculture in the middle of the second millennium BC, and were also responsible for the curious “cazoletas” rock engravings just to the south of the village.

The Iberian culture

The Iberians occupied an area extending from the south of France to the south of Spain, especially in the east of the Iberian Peninsula, from the 8th to the 3rd century BC, and established a hierarchical structure on society wherever they settled. Each tribe was led by a chief, and each occupied its own fortified settlement, usually in hilltop locations.

The Iberians cultivated cereal crops, olives and grapes, and also plants such as linen and esparto grass for producing textiles. Cattle farming was also a part of their society, as was the mining which enabled them to produce coins made from silver, gold, tin and lead in around 400 BC.

The most important site in Yecla related to the Iberians is at Cerro de los Santos, where there were two distinct periods of occupation, the first in the 4th and 5th centuries BC and the second two hundred years later, under the influence of the Romans.

The first excavation was carried out in 1870, and it has since been established that it is one of the most important sites of Iberian worship yet identified. Some 400 or so statues were found here, of which 51 are still kept in the Yecla archaeological museum, and although there are practically no remnants of the sanctuary its location is marked by a commemorative obelisk erected in 1929.

The Romans in Yecla

The arrival of the Romans brought with it a revolution in the way of life in the Iberian Peninsula, as it did throughout a large part of Europe. Latin became the accepted language, a network of roads was constructed, and mining, agriculture and trade flourished.

Romanization in Spain was at its greatest in the south and east, firstly after the triumph in the First Punic Wars (216-206 BC), and secondly during the phase of cultural assimilation which saw the founding of many of Spain’s great cities. The Roman occupation of the Iberian Peninsula lasted until the 5th century AD.

In Yecla the most important Roman site is at Torrejones, which is a typical rural villa which served as the headquarters for agricultural activity in the area. Torrejones is located on a wide plain and surrounded by fertile land which is well supplied with water, and here the Romans cultivated olives and grapes to produce oil and wine. At the site the items unearthed include marble sculptures, coins, ceramics, mosaics and paintings, and they suggest that the villa was one of considerable importance.

The four other known Roman villas in Yecla are those of El Pulpillo, Marisparza, Casa de la Ermita and Fuente del Pinar, while inns on the Roman road have been found at Casas de Almansa and Casa de las Cebollas. These stand close to the Via Augusta road which ran from Játiva to Cádiz, and were occupied between the 1st and 4th centuries AD.

The Middle Ages

After the Romans departed from the Iberian Peninsula the Visigoths who followed lacked any real central authority, making it relatively easy for the Moors to expand their territory to the north of the Mediterranean. They defeated the Visigoths at the battle of Guadalete in 711, and within just three years had spread almost throughout Spain.

But from the 11th century onwards the balance of power began to shift towards the Christian kingdoms in the north, which slowly spread south over the following centuries. By 1492, the Moors were expelled from Granada, their last stronghold in Spain.

In Yecla the Middle Ages are represented by the castle which was known by the Moors as Hisn Yakka, and which was built during the late 11th century. It belonged first to the Taifa of Denia and then to that of Sevilla, and became even more important in the 12th century: this was when the “Medina”, or town, of Yecla began to grow up around the fortress.

The Moors resurrected the old Roman farms at Los Torrejones-Baños and El Pulpillo, and a third was located in El Peñón, now in the west of the town of Yecla.

Hisn Yakka was taken in around 1240 by the forces of Jaime I of Aragón and was handed over to the Crown of Castilla in 1244, and twenty years later the failure to respect the rights of the Moors who remained in Murcia led to the Mudéjar Uprising of 1264-66. This eventually brought about an exodus of the local population and a preference for cattle raising rather than crop farming due to the lack of farm hands.

But in the 14th century Yecla found itself on the border between the kingdoms of Castilla and Aragón, and the creation of a customs point led to there being a considerable upsurge in economic activity and to the re-population of the land.

Visiting the archaeological museum of Yecla

Opening hours and guided tours

The museum is open every day of the week except Monday from 10am to 2pm, and at the same time guided visits are available for groups of up to 25 people without prior reservation.

From Tuesday to Friday guided tours begin at 11am, while at weekends there are two tours, at 11am and 12.30pm.

Pre-arranged group visits can be booked for groups of between 10 and 25 people: further information and reservations on 968 790 901, Monday to Friday 9am to 1pm.

Entry charges

International Museums Day (May 18) and the September feria: free of charge

Standard tariff:

Permanent MaYe exhibition (Museo Arqueológico Municipal): 2.50€

Permanent ReGreco exhibition (El Greco replicas): 1.25€

Cave paintings of Cantos de Visera (Monte Arabí): 1.50€

Tour guide service (additional to the above): 1.50€.

Reduced tariff(applicable to students aged 12 to 26, pensioners, the disabled and families, where under 14s are allowed free entry of accompanied by their parents):

Permanent MaYe exhibition (Museo Arqueológico Municipal): 1.75€

Permanent ReGreco exhibition (El Greco replicas): 0.75€

Cave paintings of Cantos de Visera (Monte Arabí): 1.00€

Tour guide service (additional to the above): 1.50€

Combined tariffs:

MaYe + ReGreco exhibitions: 2.50€

MaYe + ReGreco exhibitions  + Cantos de Visera: 3.50€

Tour guide service (additional to the above): 1.50€

Note: children aged under 7 and those attending school in Yecla are entitled to free entry.

Visits to the cave paintings of Cantos de Visera in Monte Arabí: visits are only allowed in the company of a tour guide, and must be arranged at least 48 hours in advance. Groups must be of between 15 and 25 people.

Contact details

Address: Museo Arqueológico Cayetano de Mergelina, Calle España, 37, 30510 Yecla, Murcia (click for map location)

Telephone: (+34) 968 790 901

Email: museoarqueologicodeyecla@gmail.com

Click for further information about the Yecla municipality including what to visit and agenda