Animals in the Maltese Neolithic : a social zooarchaeological study of faunal representations and remains

Abstract

Archaeological material relating to animals is recorded in virtually all prehistoric sites in Malta, taking the form of actual faunal remains or zoomorphic representations. The presence of this material in both ritual and funerary contexts suggests that, like in many other Neolithic cultures, animals in Neolithic Malta played social and symbolic roles which often went beyond a utilitarian need for subsistence. Social zooarchaeology was applied as a method to explore these symbolic roles reflected in the archaeological record, using a contextual reading of both faunal remains and representations as a basis for interpretation. Throughout the Neolithic, it was possible to trace certain characteristics and suggest possible rituals as well as create a general sense of how the relationship with animals evolved. The general picture seems to be mostly consistent throughout the phases, suggesting that Neolithic Maltese inhabitants emphasized domestic animals and rejected other food sources, both due to the constraints of the environment but also possibly as a way of consolidating their Neolithic identity. Wild animals like fish and birds, although rare in the record, feature prominently in representations towards the end of the Neolithic, suggesting a symbolic significance possibly related to totemism or cosmology. The assemblages of the Late Neolithic especially offer insight into the centrality of animals in ritual, with remains and representations abundant at both temple and funerary sites. It is clear that animals, throughout all Neolithic phases, served purposes beyond those of simple subsistence and were involved intimately in both the life and death of the Neolithic Maltese.