HISTORY of chercos
According to Oliver Asín, the name ‘Chercos’ derives from the Mozarab word yerku, which means “the oak”. This is likely because of the oak trees that would have surrounded early settlements in the area. We have to differentiate between Chercos Viejo, the former farmhouse, and Chercos, the town. The establishment of municipal offices in Las Huertas signaled the birth of today’s settlement.
Between Chercos Viejo and Chercos is “La Piedra Labrá” or “Piedra de los Moros”, where the first human footprint is found in the history of Chercos. These are rock engravings that represent scenes from everyday life. The site would have been used as an altar for outdoor worship. This engraving dates from the second millennium BC.
During the Al-Andalus period, the area was part of the State of Tahal, a district occupied by Berber tribes. From this time, the remains of a castle and a cistern are preserved. After the conquest by the Catholic Monarchs in 1488, the State of Tahal was ceded as a Manor to Don Enrique Enriquez, a relative of King Don Fernando, in 1490.
Before the War of the Alpujarras, about 360 Moors resided in Chercos. Following the war and their expulsion, the place was depopulated. Records of the repopulation of the area were lost along with the local book of Appeal and Population. In 1835, the Manors were abolished. Madoz wrote in the mid-eighteenth century that Chercos was part of the Purchena judicial party, with its municipal boundaries divided into a series of cortijadas. At this time, its economy was based on agriculture.