The 4.2 ka Event and the End of the Maltese “Temple Period”

A new study suggests that the abrupt end of Malta's Temple Period around 4.2 thousand years ago may have been influenced by the 4.2 ka event, a period of significant societal changes across the Mediterranean. However, other factors such as a potential plague epidemic and pre-existing social dynamics likely played predominant roles in this transition. The research combines chronological modeling with environmental data to disentangle cause and effect, highlighting the complex interplay between climate change, disease, and human societies on the isolated Maltese archipelago.

Groucutt, H. S., Carleton, W. C., Fenech, K., Gauci, R., Grima, R., Scerri, E. M. L., Stewart, M., & Vella, N. C. (2022). The 4.2 ka Event and the End of the Maltese “Temple Period”. Frontiers in Earth Science, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2021.771683