Vestiges of material culture at Il-Lunzjata valley and its immediate environs

Abstract

Nowadays, people are attracted to the valley of Il-Lunzjata by its peaceful atmosphere and natural beauty. But in earlier times, it seems to have been rather its water sources and the resultant agricultural fertility that determined the anthropogenic activity that unfolded there over many centuries. Considering the importance attached by past societies to these two elements, namely water and fertility, one should not be surprised to find that, as a source of both elements, the valley’s potential was wisely identified and exploited by the people living in its neighbourhood. The valley is still exploited to this day mainly for agricultural purposes. It is not uncommon that past human activities leave material traces behind them on the basis of which one could identify their nature, significance, and temporal extent. In the case of Il-Lunzjata Valley, such material traces do not seem to abound. So inevitably, we shall be focusing on the very few surviving ones without extending too far beyond the immediate environs of the valley.