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| Mġarr phase | |
|---|---|
| Name | Mġarr phase |
| Region | Maltese Islands |
| Period | Neolithic |
| Dates | circa 3600–3200 BCE |
| Preceding | Għar Dalam phase |
| Following | Żebbuġ phase |
| Notable sites | Ħaġar Qim, Mnajdra, Skorba |
Mġarr phase is an archaeological phase in the prehistoric sequence of the Maltese Islands associated with distinctive megalithic architecture, lithic production, and ritual assemblages. Scholars link the phase to broader Late Neolithic developments in the central Mediterranean and to networks that include sites in Sicily, Sardinia, and southern Italy. Research on the phase involves excavation, radiocarbon dating, petrographic analysis, and comparative studies with contemporaneous cultures such as the Ozieri culture and the Grotta Verde facies.
The Mġarr phase is characterized by monumental stonework, elaborated carved stone slabs, and symbolic materiality found across Malta and Gozo. Key related locations include Ggantija, Tarxien, and coastal sites like Għajn Tuffieħa, which together indicate both ritual focal points and territorial markers. Investigators from institutions such as the University of Malta, the British Museum, and the University of Cambridge have contributed to typologies linking Mġarr-phase features with artifacts excavated by teams led by figures like Sir Themistocles Zammit and Eduard Florin. The phase is integral to discussions of megalithic chronology alongside epochs recognized by the Maltese prehistoric sequence.
Radiocarbon campaigns by laboratories including Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit and Tübingen-Ludwig-Maximilians University place the Mġarr phase roughly between 3600 and 3200 BCE, bridging earlier ceramic traditions attributed to the Għar Dalam phase and later monumental elaborations of the Żebbuġ phase. Bayesian modeling applied by teams from University College London and the University of Cambridge has refined gaps among stratigraphic sequences at sites like Skorba Temple and Hagar Qim complex. Key chronological debates involve calibration curves used by the IntCal group and sample contexts from fieldwork by the National Museum of Archaeology (Malta).
Material culture includes grooved pottery, incised stone, polished adzes, and stylized statuettes comparable to finds from Sicily and Corsica. Ceramic assemblages show affinities with the Ozieri culture type ceramics and with the later corpora from Tarxien, while stone tools reflect lithic sourcing from outcrops near Mellieħa and Rabat, Malta. Decorative motifs include spiral and chevron patterns paralleled in artifacts held at the Museo Archeologico Regionale Antonio Salinas and the National Museum of Archaeology (Valletta). Bone tools and marine shell ornaments demonstrate subsistence and symbolic behaviors studied by analysts from the Institute of Nautical Archaeology and the Society of Antiquaries of London.
Settlements attributed to the phase show clustering around promontories and fertile valleys such as Dingli Cliffs and the Mġarr ix-Xini area, with structures incorporating corbelled roofing and orthostatic slabs. Megalithic temples at Ħaġar Qim, Mnajdra, and Ggantija display axial planning and libation channels comparable to contemporaneous sanctuaries in Sicily and the Aeolian Islands. Architectural analysis by teams from Harvard University and the Italian Institute of Prehistory and Protohistory has emphasized construction sequence, quarry logistics, and ritual spatial use, while conservation projects by Europa Nostra and the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage (Malta) have documented erosion and restoration.
Faunal remains indicate pastoralism emphasizing sheep and goat husbandry with supplemental cattle—parallels found in contexts excavated by the Institute of Archaeology (UCL) and the University of York. Isotopic studies conducted by laboratories at McMaster University and University of Cambridge show a marine component to diet, corroborated by fish bones and shell middens at coastal sites near Marsaxlokk and St. Paul’s Bay. Agricultural indicators include emmer wheat and barley macrofossils comparable to assemblages from Sicilian Neolithic sites excavated by the Istituto Italiano di Preistoria e Protostoria.
Funerary evidence is incomplete but includes hypogean deposits, collective inhumations, and secondary deposits within megalithic complexes, echoing practices documented at Skorba Temple and Tarxien Temples. Osteological analyses undertaken by researchers at Cardiff University and University College Dublin identify demographic profiles and health indicators, while artefactual grave goods such as polished stone axeheads and shell adornments suggest status differentiation resembling mortuary patterns in Sardinia and Sicily.
Material parallels with the Ozieri culture, the Capo Graziano culture, and late Neolithic communities of southern Italy indicate exchange routes across the central Mediterranean. Obsidian sourcing studies linking artifacts to Lipari and Pantelleria demonstrate long-distance procurement networks analyzed by the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche. Stylistic links with carved stone vases and ritual figurines resonate with collections held at the British Museum, the Museo Nazionale Preistorico Etnografico "Luigi Pigorini", and the Museo Archeologico di Palermo.
Major excavations were carried out by teams led by figures such as Daphne Caruana Galizia—note: modern commentators—and earlier excavators including Sir Themistocles Zammit and Temi Żammit. Contemporary methodologies integrate stratigraphic excavation, radiocarbon dating, petrography, residue analysis, and GIS mapping performed by laboratories at University of Malta, University College London, and the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History. Public archaeology initiatives involve the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage (Malta) and international collaborations with the European Research Council and the World Monuments Fund.
Category:Prehistoric Malta