The pageant of life and other facets

Abstract

The story of human life dates back from written history through oral tradition to the records of geological, palaeontological and archaeological discoveries. About 22 thousand years ago or earlier, Europe was held in thrall by probing masses of thick ice from the North of Europe to cover most of Great Britain, Northern Germany, Poland, Scandinavia, Switzerland and Russia, etc. Smaller ice-caps crept southwards covering Austria, Northern France and Northern Italy. Stone Age hunters struggled to survive hunting herds of reindeer, mammoth and other animals. Great floods are mentioned in the Bible. Perhaps about 15,000 years ago, or so, the ice sheets began to retreat. Within about 10,000 years ago or so, these had withdrawn roughly from most of Europe. I think that the less vigorous climate could have attracted a lot of migration south to the Mediterranean. I believe that the Mediterranean region owed its flowering and civilization, at least partially to its mild sunny climate. Various valleys in Malta and Gozo, such as Wied iz-Zurrieq, Wied Babu, Wied Incita, Wied il-Kbir, Xlendi etc. are suggestive of large volumes of water passing through for long periods in ancient times.