The rise and fall of megalithism in Malta

Abstract

There is now an extensive literature on various aspects of Maltese megalithic constructions, but practically no attempt has been made to give a diachronic analysis of the phenomenon. One of the purposes of this paper is to look at the problem and to focus on the anthropological aspect, in particular to identify the forces (social and religious) that brought the phenomenon about, and those that could have provoked its collapse. The origins seem to be autochthonous, although there is considerable resistance from some quarter's to admit the absence of influence from abroad. The typological evolution appears to be explainable in merely local terms. Greater difficulty is encountered in establishing the causes of the end of the phenomenon. Its place in the central and western Mediterranean context is discussed. A progress report on ongoing research projects is given at the end of the paper. Significant new evidence on funerary rituals and physical anthropology, as well as environmental conditions, is expected from the current excavation programme at a cemetery site in Gozo (Malone et al. 1993). The potential applications of spatial and functional analysis to the temple constructions are also discussed.