Temple places: Excavating cultural sustainability in prehistoric Malta

New evidence from the FRAGSUS Project reveals that Neolithic Malta experienced dynamic settlement patterns with periods of depopulation and recolonization, shaped by environmental stress and economic shifts. Excavations at Santa Verna (Gozo) uncovered the earliest known occupation on the islands, dating back to at least 5000 BCE, while studies at Ġgantija and Skorba provided insights into temple chronology and soil management practices. The project integrated environmental, settlement, and population data, demonstrating how Malta's early inhabitants adapted creatively to changing conditions over millennia. Additional findings from Taċ-Ćawla and In-Nuffara shed light on subsistence strategies and the late prehistoric decline of Malta's environment.

Malone, C., Grima, R., McLaughlin, R., Parkinson, E. W., Stoddart, S., & Vella, N. (with Apollo-University Of Cambridge Repository, & University Of Cambridge). (2020). Temple places: Excavating cultural sustainability in prehistoric Malta. McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research. https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.62630