The earliest archaeological remains in Malta date from about 5000 bce. Neolithic farmers lived in caves such as those at Għar Dalam (near Birżebbuġa) or villages such as Skorba (near Żebbiegħ) and produced pottery similar to that of contemporary eastern Sicily. An elaborate cult of the dead evolved sometime after 4000 bce. Initially centring on rock-cut collective tombs such as those at Żebbuġ and Xemxija, it culminated in the unique underground burial chamber (hypogeum) at Ħal Saflieni (in Paola, known locally as Raħal Ġdid). Abundant human remains, as well as statues, pots, jewelry, and other artifacts, have been unearthed at Ħal Saflieni, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1980. This culture came to a sudden end about 2000 bce, when it was replaced by the Tarxien Cemetery culture, a metal-using civilization that practiced a cremation burial rite. This culture in turn was supplanted by the Borġ In-Nadur people (1450–800 bce), whose settlements were founded on naturally defensible hilltops. Between 900 and 800 bce, people settled at Baħrija and were known for their distinct type of pottery.
Between the 8th and 6th centuries bce, contact was made with a Semitic culture. Evidence is scanty, however, and a few inscriptions found on Malta constitute an important indication of a Phoenician presence. For example, a prehistoric temple at Tas-Silġ (near Marsaxlokk) was converted into a Phoenician one. There is more substantial proof of the Carthaginian presence from the 6th century bce; coins, inscriptions, and several rock tombs of the Punic (i.e., Phoenician) type have been found. It is certain that in 218 bce Malta came under Roman political control, forming part of the praetorship of Sicily. During the first two centuries of Roman occupation, the islands were allowed to coin their own money, send delegations to Rome, and control domestic affairs. Subsequently they were given the status of Roman municipium. St. Paul, the Apostle, was shipwrecked on Malta in 60 ce, and, as it is believed, converted the inhabitants to Christianity. Numerous collective underground burial places dating from the 4th to the 8th century ce represent the first archaeological evidence of Christianity in Malta.
With the division of the Roman Empire in 395 ce, Malta was given to the eastern portion ruled from Constantinople (now Istanbul). Until the 15th century, it followed the more immediate fortunes of nearby Sicily, successively under Byzantine rule (535–870 ce) and Arab rule (870–1090); both groups left a strong mark on the language and customs. The Normans and their Swabian successors in the Kingdom of Sicily (1091–1266) had changed Malta’s legal and governmental structures. A short period of Angevin rule (1266–82) was followed by Spanish rule (1282–1530), when the islands were governed by a succession of feudal lords. In 1530 the Holy Roman emperor Charles V ceded Malta to the homeless Order of the Knights of Rhodes (subsequently the Sovereign and Military Order of the Knights of Malta; see Hospitallers), a religious and military order of the Roman Catholic Church. Malta became a fortress and, under the Knights’ grand master, Jean de Valette, successfully withstood the Ottoman siege of 1565. The new capital city of Valletta, founded in 1566, became a town of splendid palaces and unparalleled fortifications. Growing in power and wealth—owing mainly to their maritime adventures against the Ottomans—the Knights left the island an architectural and artistic legacy. Although there was little social contact between them and the Maltese, the Knights managed to imprint their cosmopolitan character on Malta and its inhabitants.
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Publish date : 2024-10-11 05:00:00
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