Archaeology in Malta (6) : habitat and religious beliefs

Abstract

Traces of human activity and occupation have been detected inside Ghar Dalam and other caves both in Malta and Gozo. These suggest that natural fissures and hollows in the rock were utilized as ready made habitations. But such abodes had many limitations and handicaps as they were not always spacious enough to house the small community, or close enough to sources of water and to the cultivated land. Therefore, man-made dwellings were resorted to and these were built in groups that grew and expanded as the need arose until they formed whole villages. One such village is the one excavated by David Trump at Skorba, close to Zebbieh, in the early '60s.