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| Żebbuġ phase | |
|---|---|
| Name | Żebbuġ phase |
| Region | Malta |
| Period | Bronze Age |
| Dates | ca. 4100–3800 BCE (traditional); later revisions vary |
| Preceded by | Mġarr phase |
| Followed by | Tarxien phase |
Żebbuġ phase The Żebbuġ phase is an archaeological phase of prehistoric Malta attributed to late Neolithic to early Bronze Age developments and identified through stratigraphic sequences at multiple megalithic sites. It is characterized by distinctive pottery styles, lithic reduction strategies, and funerary modifications that have been debated in syntheses by scholars working on Ġgantija, Ħaġar Qim, Mnajdra, and the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum. Interpretations of its chronology and cultural affiliations connect it to wider interactions across the Central Mediterranean, including contacts with Sicily, Southern Italy, and the Balearic Islands.
The phase was defined through stratigraphic work at excavations led by figures associated with the National Museum of Archaeology (Malta), early 20th-century surveys by Sir Themistocles Zammit, and later reassessments by researchers affiliated with University of Malta and the British Museum. Radiocarbon determinations from contexts tied to scholars such as David Trump, Anthony Bonanno, and teams from University College London have prompted debates linking the phase to broader sequences proposed by Gordon Childe-inspired frameworks and to typologies used by the Prehistoric Society and the European Association of Archaeologists. Cross-dating with material from excavations overseen by John H. Evans and comparative ceramic seriation from collections associated with Paul Ashbee have refined placement within Late Neolithic sequences.
Characteristic contexts attributed to the phase were recorded during fieldwork at megalithic monuments documented by archaeologists from the Malta Antiquities Authority and studies published in journals edited by contributors from Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, and the Journal of Mediterranean Archaeology. Assemblages include stratified deposits with diagnostic sherds comparable to sequences reported from Sicily sites excavated by teams linked to F. R. Butcher and lithic elements catalogued in catalogues assembled by curators at the Ashmolean Museum and the Museo Archeologico Regionale Paolo Orsi. Interpretive frameworks drawing on typologies used at the Neolithic Orkney complexes have been adapted to Maltese contexts by authors collaborating with the Institute of Archaeology, London.
Pottery forms associated with the phase were described in monographs by specialists from the British School at Rome and include coarse storage vessels, burnished wares, and distinctive rim treatments paralleling assemblages excavated at Pantalica and sites published under the auspices of the Società degli Studi Siciliani. Lithic repertoires show microlithic and polished implements comparable to collections curated at the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli and experimental analyses undertaken by laboratories at McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research. Metallurgical hypotheses, explored in reports co-authored by researchers from Imperial College London and the National Museums Liverpool, discuss early pyrotechnology traces and potential contacts reflected in metallurgical debris similar to finds from Grotta dell'Addaura.
Excavations revealing structural remains were led by field directors associated with Kathleen Kenyon-inspired stratigraphic standards and teams funded by the European Research Council and national bodies such as the Heritage Malta. Settlement evidence shows nucleation near coastal promontories studied in surveys co-published with the Rivista di Studi] ] and connections to maritime corridors mapped in projects involving the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies and the Barcelona Institute of Archaeology. Architectural features include stone-built foundations and platformed areas with parallels noted in comparative studies of Trapani and Valletta-area prehistoric topography.
Funerary assemblages attributed to the phase were recovered in contexts excavated under licences issued by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage (Malta) and analysed by osteologists affiliated with University College Cork and the University of Cambridge. Grave goods and ritual paraphernalia exhibit affinities with assemblages from Pantelleria and comparative burials published by the Society of Antiquaries of London. Interpretations of ritual deposition draw on methodological approaches promoted by editors at the Cambridge Archaeological Journal and case studies published through collaborative networks including the International Council on Monuments and Sites.
Scholars affiliated with the Institute for Mediterranean Studies and the German Archaeological Institute have argued for exchange networks linking Maltese communities to populations in Sicily, Calabria, and the wider Central Mediterranean. Ceramic parallels with assemblages catalogued at the Museo Archeologico Regionale and isotopic studies conducted in laboratories at the University of Oxford and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology suggest mobility and interaction patterns echoed in syntheses by editors of volumes from the British Academy and the Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society. Debates over cultural transmission have involved contributors from the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and the École française de Rome.
Initial recognition occurred during antiquarian surveys associated with collectors linked to the Imperial War Museum collections and later systematic excavations directed by Sir Temi Zammit and successors including D. H. Trump and teams tied to the University of Malta. Publication histories span reports in proceedings edited by the Royal Anthropological Institute and monographs issued by the Malta Archaeological Review. Recent projects funded by bodies such as the European Horizon 2020 programme and collaborative excavations involving the Università di Bologna have produced high-resolution datasets, stratigraphic reassessments, and multidisciplinary analyses integrating specialists from the Natural History Museum, London and the Institute of Nautical Archaeology.
Category:Prehistoric cultures in Malta