Cult and continuity : a religious biography of the Maltese archipelago from the Neolithic up till 535 CE

Abstract

This study is concerned with the 'religious biography' of the Maltese islands from a long-term perspective. This research analyzes the islands' religious development in terms of the (dis)continuity of religious activities from the Neolithic period until the incorporation of Malta into the Byzantine Empire in 535 CE. This study will focus on the period before the islands' incorporation into the Byzantine Empire, so as to include the early forms of Christianity and the end of the Roman Empire, a clearly defined temporal scope and still a period large enough to be able to recognise patterns. This temporal approach will identify and explain diverse religious traditions, as well as highlight regional developments through the continuous use of select cult sites as well as the associated cultic practices. The Maltese archipelago, located to the southeast of Sicily, lies well situated in the centre of the Mediterranean (figure 1. 1). While the Maltese islands only cover 314 square kilometers (Malta 243 km2, Gazo 69 km2 and Cornino 2 km2) (Trump 1972, 13-15), a remarkably diverse history and high levels of connectivity between the islands and other regions are observable. Owing to their geographical location, the islands were subject to many different cultural and political encounters, ranging from economic exchange to fully-fledged colonial domination. From the Early Neolithic until modem times the islands have been home to a great number of different people, ushering in different cultural phases, which are often chronologically distinct and clearly reflected in the islands' material heritage. During this extensive period, from the Neolithic to the Byzantine era, many different influences from various geographical regions and diverse political systems affected the religious activities on the islands. [...]