Man in antiquity and much later time capsules

Abstract

The Maltese Islands have sustained a stream of human life since the very early people, probably from Sicily first settled here around 5500 B.C., and gradually developed mostly in fertile areas where water was available. The first settlers were agriculturists. Looking back, one can realize that their survival depended mainly on a widening of their understanding of nature and a deepening of their knowledge on how to handle and use what nature provided. Aside this, they tried to safeguard themselves as much as possible against disease, accidents and catastrophe.