Bronze Age Malta

Even though they are very small pieces of land, the Maltese Islands have been the home of several cultures. There are also many unanswered questions surrounding these cultures. Possibly the most mysterious of these cultures were the Bronze Age cultures. The first of the two is called the Tarxian Cemetery culture, because most of the artifacts associated with them were found in the Tarxian Cemetery. The other culture is related to Borg in-Nadur, the most famous of the Bronze Age sites in Malta.

History

The earliest known visitation to the islands began around ten thousand BCE. These people are thought to have sailed over from Greece, due to the discovery of obsidian that can be traced back to the island of Melos. The islands were not settled until around 5200. These were Neolithic peoples who are thought to have come from Sicily. As time passed, more Mediterranean cultures moved in and influenced the Maltese Neolithic civilization. This civilization created permanent Megalithic temples made of ovals: this is why their era was given the name the Temple Period. These temples show the Neolithic culture to be more advanced than most. Their art was also incredible the “Venus of Malta” figurines are intricately carved and thusly famous.[1] One of the mysteries surrounding Malta is why this seemingly advanced culture, with plenty of influence from metallurgic cultures, never developed into a Bronze Age civilization. No evidence of metal tools or weaponry has been found from this period. This may suggest that this culture was a peaceful nonintrusive culture. This Neolithic culture remained in Malta until around 2500 BCE; long after the surrounding civilizations developed into their own Bronze Ages.

Bronze Age

Archaeological evidence suggests that the Neolithic culture left abruptly: another mystery.[2] It was replaced by the first Bronze Age civilization, the Tarxian Cemetery people. This culture is also thought to have sailed over from Sicily. Scholars consider it to be a culture inferior to that of the Temple Period. Further immigration from Sicily resulted in a second Bronze Age culture, which coexisted with the Tarxian Cemetery people for a short time, before they became the sole inhabitants of Malta. These were the Borg in-Nadur people and they existed from 1500 to 700 BCE. Archaeological evidence suggests that the Borg in-Nadur people favored defensive structures. The Borg in-Nadur site is situated directly adjacent to a Megalithic temple with a four-apse plan, which was destroyed first; possibly so that the construction materials could be reused for their own purposes, such as the defensive wall on the land side of the settlement.[3] The terrain would have naturally provided defense on the sea side. What was left of the temple was reused for purposes such as grinding and storing grain.[4]

The settlement of Bronze Age Malta is curious. The land itself is harsh and not very fertile. There are no ores to be mined either. This has led scholars to wonder just how these peoples not only survived, but were in possession of various imported goods. What did they have to trade? Atauz theorizes that the Bronze Age Maltese were expert weavers and dyers. The Tarxian Cemeteries contain textile remnants. She suggests that they traded their fine cloth for copper and exotic items.[5] This may also account for the single Mycenaean pottery sherd found at Borg in-Nadur.

Artifacts

Oddly, there are little remains to prove the existence of a village. The remains of two oval-shaped huts were found at the site, just behind the wall. These huts have pebble floors and uncut stone walls. They are assumed to have had thatched roves.[6] Usually one would think that there simply wasn’t a village at Borg in-Nadur.

The excessive amount of pottery found there suggests otherwise. The pottery is quite unique and varies greatly from most other Bronze Age cultures, including the Tarxian Cemetery people. Evans argues that similar pottery can be found in Bronze Age tombs in Sicily.[7] They are not identical, however, which shows either independent development or influence from another culture. The Mycenaean culture has been suggested as one of these influential cultures. These wares are made of a buff-colored paste with a red slip coating. This aesthetic quality may have evolved into the later terra sigillata ware favored in Italy and Gaul. It has also been noted that the Maltese wares were poorly fired. Most common among the pottery are various styles of basins, cups, bowls, and lamps. Handles on these vessels are typically Y- or T-shaped, though some have ax-like protrusions on them as well. The vessels are on occasion decorated with deep grooves or dots that are filled with white paste. When it is used, this decoration is limited and simple. Thusly the Borg in-Nadur culture did not possess an affinity for art; rather they favored functionality.

The wall is interestingly the most puzzling and famous artifact from Borg in-Nadur. It is a semicircular defensive wall that connects to nothing. It is 14 feet high and 5 feet wide, and is pieced together from local uncut stones. This construction has parallels in both Sicilian and Mycenaean contexts. Scholars debate over the reasoning behind building such a wall. Did the Borg in-Nadur people have a constant enemy or were they just overly cautious? Why did they not fear attack from their sea side when they were not directly located on the cliffs? Why did they not complete a circle around their camp? If they were so obsessed with defending themselves, why did they not build a fortress? These are all excellent questions, but unfortunately none can be answered definitely.

Burials

Bronze Age burials on Malta varied according to fashion. The Tarxian Cemetery people are known for their internments with a vase and various goods. These took place in selected burial areas. The Borg in-Nadur people used cave and rock-cut tomb burials. Though they are few, the rock-cut tombs are the most memorable, on account of their bell shapes.[8] These are also noted as the beginnings of rock-cut tombs.[9]

Conclusion

From archaeological evidence it can be determined that the Bronze Age cultures of Malta were oddly inferior to their Neolithic predecessors. Their art was more functional and plain in design. Not only was their art incredibly more simplistic, but their architecture was makeshift and easily destructible. The fact that the megalithic temples far outlasted the Bronze Age huts says little in the way of progress. The Neolithic people never developed metallurgically, possibly because they were a peaceful faith-based culture. Perhaps the Neolithic peoples were actually run out by aggressive attacks from the warriors and weaponry of the Bronze Age cultures. This could also be who the Borg in-Nadur feared attack from; why they built defensive walls and destroyed the temples. They may have thought that the Neolithic people would come back to retaliate and reclaim their sacred temples.

[1] See fig

[2] Atauz 6

[3] See fig

[4] Evans 26

[5] Atauz 7

[6] Coles & Harding 193-5

[7] Evans 184

[8] Coles & Harding 193-4

[9] Cunliffe 184

 

Atauz, Ayse. Eight Thousand Years of Maltese Maritime History. Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida, 2008.

Coles, J.M., and A.F. Harding. The Bronze Age in Europe. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1979.

Cunliffe, Barry. The Oxford Illustrated Prehistory of Europe. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994.

Evans, J.D. Malta. Dr. Glyn Daniel. New York: Frederick A. Praeger, Inc., 1959.