The Archaeology of Malta

Front Cover
Cambridge University Press, Aug 25, 2015 - History - 449 pages
The Maltese archipelago is a unique barometer for understanding cultural change in the central Mediterranean. Prehistoric people helped reshape the islands' economy and when Mediterranean maritime highways were being established, the islands became a significant lure to Phoenician colonists venturing from their Levantine homeland. Punic Malta also sat at the frontline of regional hostilities until it fell to Rome. Preserved in this island setting are signs of people's endurance and adaptation to each new challenge. This book is the first systematic and up-to-date survey of the islands' archaeological evidence from the initial settlers to the archipelago's inclusion into the Roman world (c. 5000 BC-400 AD). Claudia Sagona draws upon old and new discoveries and her analysis covers well-known sites such as the megalithic structures, as well as less familiar locations and discoveries. She interprets the archaeological record to explain changing social and political structures, intriguing ritual practices and cultural contact through several millennia.
 

Contents

BOXES
1
The First Settlers and Farmers
20
Indications of Source Preference within the Lithic Industry
33
The Late
47
Dimples Pellets and Bosses as Decorative Features
71
Population Estimates for the Late Neolithic in Malta
85
An Ethnographic Account
107
Pushing Boundaries at the End of the Megalithic
115
Chapter 6
173
Language and Writing
194
Melita and Gaulos during the Punic Period
218
Quintinus Jean Quintin dAutun and the PunicRoman Temple Sites
249
Maltas Place in the Roman World
264
Tenets of Mithraism
286
Closing Remarks
296
Notes
331

Creation of Ancient Fields RunOff Farming and Economic Gain
124
The Appearance of the AxeBearers
134
Disc Figurines of the Tarxien Cemetery Phase
144
Phoenician Mariners Merchants and Settlers
171

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About the author (2015)

Claudia Sagona is a Senior Fellow in Archaeology at the University of Melbourne. She is the author of several books on Malta, including Looking for Mithra in Malta (2009), and the editor of books including Ceramics of the Phoenician-Punic World (2011) and Beyond the Homeland: Markers in Phoenician Chronology (2008). Her articles have appeared in academic journals including Anatolian Studies, Anatolia Antiqua, Ancient Near Eastern Studies, Mediterranean Archaeology and the Oxford Journal of Archaeology. In recognition of her contribution to Malta, she was made an honorary member of the National Order of Merit of Malta in 2007.

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