Landscapes, landforms and monuments in Neolithic Malta

Abstract

During the Late Neolithic period, Malta witnessed an extraordinary flowering of monumental architecture, and the creation of buildings that are considered to be the earliest known stone monuments to achieve such architectural complexity and sophistication, anywhere in the world. The influence of geology and geomorphology on the culture that created these monuments is discussed, with reference to two case studies, representing the two principal types of monument known, namely megalithic buildings raised above the ground and the largely rock-cut funerary complexes. It is argued that geology and geomorphology shaped the ways the Neolithic islanders inhabited the landscape and transformed it into a culturally meaningful space, and even shaped their worldviews and lifeways.