Maltarian
25thMarch2005, 14:13
The Axes of the Mediterranean
There are some places in this world nobody would live in, nobody would fight for, hardly would somebody ever heard of. Almost nobody's land they are. On the other hand, some pieces of land could be desired so much that almost everybody would have them, no matter what price it would take to lay foot on.
The favourite in this category is undoubtedly the archipelago of Malta, few tiny pieces of land in the Mediterranean waters.
A short glimpse on the map wouldn't tell much neither can surprise someone. Small archipelago lays almost in the geometrical centre of Mediterranean, modestly small in extent, merely a spot or a stain in the blue colour of water.
It is its position that made the archipelago so important during past millennia. Only 80 kilometres of distance divides it from the island of Sicily to the north, there are 330 kilometres to the Libyan coast on the south, almost the same distance away is Tunis to the west. A perfect strategic position guards the pass between east and west Mediterranean. Each fleet harbouring on Malta could be deployed in a few hours time span on every location in this narrow passage, controlling that way all traffic, being merchant or, maybe, military. It is no strange therefore that many kings and emperors wanted to be in its possession.
Fierce battles were fought, many men were killed, houses destroyed, goods were robbed. Each invader would leave some of his men on the islands when being defeated by another one. Those who married local women stayed there, mixing there genes with natives, creating that way "a perfect Mediterranean nation".
That reflects in Maltese language also.
It is a mixture of almost every language spoken on the coasts between Gibraltar on the west and Middle East shores. Ever since Phoenicians set out on open sea, its position has provided a safe haven whenever fierce storms would rage the sea, its springs of sweet water would fill empty barrels and calm down the thirst of sailors, whoever has been in its possession could make considerable profits out of it. Therefore many nations had fought for it. Won it and lost it.
Nowadays, as it looks like, the upheaval has come to an end. Malta Has joined the European Union; seemingly everybody is pleased with its political status enjoying the hospitality of its inhabitants throughout the year. Malta has turned into paradise for tourists from all over the Europe being so close to mainland. Lots of overseas visitors would come also to se its beauties and remnants of its long history. It is very probable that this tiny piece of land wasn't an island throughout its history. Many geologists agree that Mediterranean was kind of a lake, its surface being below Atlantic sea level, before land masses broke apart at nowadays Gibraltar straight. The shallow bottom between Sicily and Malta could be dry land at those times. Perhaps this also could be the matter due west, dry land connecting it to the African continent also, dividing that way the water masses into two lakes. That would explain strange fossils found in Ghar Dalam cave.It was Arthur Issel, an English scientist, who began excavations in 1885. They resulted in the discovery of an impressive quantity of the remnants of animals of all sorts. Antelopes, bears, wolves, hyenas and, most amazing, elephants and hippopotamus were unearthed in this 90 metre long cave.
The most amazing fact is that elephants and hippopotamus are dwarves. The smallest elephant is the size of a big dog, say the Saint Bernard Dog. The scientific theory goes that some 250.000 years ago Malta was still connected to Europe but already cut off from Africa. Animals were driven south by the ice cap that covered continent at the time and were trapped in this dead end. As the time passed they degenerated for a large number of generations before becoming finally extinct. Why they went to die in this grotto is a question still to be answered!
But it is not the only one waiting for a reasonable explanation. Nothing less enigmatic is the "cart ruts", as they are called usually. Carved into the rock at respectable depth and running parallel across the landscape are the everlasting enigmas of Malta archipelago. Three cart ruts come together into one. That happens very often on different locations. Even greater the mystery grew when the measurements proved the same distance between them all over the islands. It looks like the same master had provided vehicles which, for a long term of use, had cut those traces into limestone rock. Or, maybe, some standards had been used at their production. In nowadays units the distance between wheels (or sledges) is 1.40 metres. But we face a problem here.
The scientific theory tells us that those cart ruts are some 3.000 years old. One could agree except in cases when they were cut through by diggers providing graves for their loved ones. Those graves are at least one thousand years older. Should we say that cart ruts are 5.000 years old or even older? And why science wouldn't agree with older dating? The simple reason is that such age would bring us back to the times when only stone tools had been in use. There is an almost heretic assumption that wooden sledges were reinforced with pieces of stone which could last for a longer period sliding on rock surface. Was that the case? If we consider that carriages or sledges had been pulled either by men or animals the rock surface between ruts should be damaged, showing some smoothness. It is not the case. How were the vehicles moved then?
Another question arises challenging this enigma. What kind of material had been carried across the islands in huge amounts for a long period of time? Mostly the answer is blocks of stone, especially some of them are running near ancient quarries traces of which still can be seen. But they are dated only back to Roman times, some of them being even younger. Another question is why curt ruts wouldn't end at those spots? They are passing them going seemingly towards nowhere. Literally.
Some of them would "fly" over the edge of a vertical rock wall as at Dingli Cliffs. Others would "dive" into the sea waters as those at Marsaxxlock on the southeastern part of Malta. Amateur divers followed them on the sea bed to considerable depth. Were they made before Malta became an island? But that would put dating for tens thousands of years further back in history! Due to our knowledge no one had been undertaken organized work at that time. They were mere gatherers, we were told! Yet, at Clapham Juncion cart ruts run underneath the soil, that one being dated at 60,000 years. Are they even older?
Some explorers bring them in connection with Maltese temples, ancient megalithic structures, some of them being recognized as the oldest still existing stone buildings on our planet. Strangely enough, no traces of cart ruts had been ever found at those spots. There are some in the vicinity, but never reaching the temple itself. The theory goes that stone blocks had been brought on sledges from distant quarries and used in construction. But, as huge as those temples are, the amount of material required for their construction wouldn't exceed few thousand tons. Would transport of that weight cut such deep traces into limestone? I don't think so. Those ruts had been cut by billion tons of material being transported over the island. For what purpose?
Maybe the answer lies inside the temples as they are even more sophisticated that we thought previously.
There are some places in this world nobody would live in, nobody would fight for, hardly would somebody ever heard of. Almost nobody's land they are. On the other hand, some pieces of land could be desired so much that almost everybody would have them, no matter what price it would take to lay foot on.
The favourite in this category is undoubtedly the archipelago of Malta, few tiny pieces of land in the Mediterranean waters.
A short glimpse on the map wouldn't tell much neither can surprise someone. Small archipelago lays almost in the geometrical centre of Mediterranean, modestly small in extent, merely a spot or a stain in the blue colour of water.
It is its position that made the archipelago so important during past millennia. Only 80 kilometres of distance divides it from the island of Sicily to the north, there are 330 kilometres to the Libyan coast on the south, almost the same distance away is Tunis to the west. A perfect strategic position guards the pass between east and west Mediterranean. Each fleet harbouring on Malta could be deployed in a few hours time span on every location in this narrow passage, controlling that way all traffic, being merchant or, maybe, military. It is no strange therefore that many kings and emperors wanted to be in its possession.
Fierce battles were fought, many men were killed, houses destroyed, goods were robbed. Each invader would leave some of his men on the islands when being defeated by another one. Those who married local women stayed there, mixing there genes with natives, creating that way "a perfect Mediterranean nation".
That reflects in Maltese language also.
It is a mixture of almost every language spoken on the coasts between Gibraltar on the west and Middle East shores. Ever since Phoenicians set out on open sea, its position has provided a safe haven whenever fierce storms would rage the sea, its springs of sweet water would fill empty barrels and calm down the thirst of sailors, whoever has been in its possession could make considerable profits out of it. Therefore many nations had fought for it. Won it and lost it.
Nowadays, as it looks like, the upheaval has come to an end. Malta Has joined the European Union; seemingly everybody is pleased with its political status enjoying the hospitality of its inhabitants throughout the year. Malta has turned into paradise for tourists from all over the Europe being so close to mainland. Lots of overseas visitors would come also to se its beauties and remnants of its long history. It is very probable that this tiny piece of land wasn't an island throughout its history. Many geologists agree that Mediterranean was kind of a lake, its surface being below Atlantic sea level, before land masses broke apart at nowadays Gibraltar straight. The shallow bottom between Sicily and Malta could be dry land at those times. Perhaps this also could be the matter due west, dry land connecting it to the African continent also, dividing that way the water masses into two lakes. That would explain strange fossils found in Ghar Dalam cave.It was Arthur Issel, an English scientist, who began excavations in 1885. They resulted in the discovery of an impressive quantity of the remnants of animals of all sorts. Antelopes, bears, wolves, hyenas and, most amazing, elephants and hippopotamus were unearthed in this 90 metre long cave.
The most amazing fact is that elephants and hippopotamus are dwarves. The smallest elephant is the size of a big dog, say the Saint Bernard Dog. The scientific theory goes that some 250.000 years ago Malta was still connected to Europe but already cut off from Africa. Animals were driven south by the ice cap that covered continent at the time and were trapped in this dead end. As the time passed they degenerated for a large number of generations before becoming finally extinct. Why they went to die in this grotto is a question still to be answered!
But it is not the only one waiting for a reasonable explanation. Nothing less enigmatic is the "cart ruts", as they are called usually. Carved into the rock at respectable depth and running parallel across the landscape are the everlasting enigmas of Malta archipelago. Three cart ruts come together into one. That happens very often on different locations. Even greater the mystery grew when the measurements proved the same distance between them all over the islands. It looks like the same master had provided vehicles which, for a long term of use, had cut those traces into limestone rock. Or, maybe, some standards had been used at their production. In nowadays units the distance between wheels (or sledges) is 1.40 metres. But we face a problem here.
The scientific theory tells us that those cart ruts are some 3.000 years old. One could agree except in cases when they were cut through by diggers providing graves for their loved ones. Those graves are at least one thousand years older. Should we say that cart ruts are 5.000 years old or even older? And why science wouldn't agree with older dating? The simple reason is that such age would bring us back to the times when only stone tools had been in use. There is an almost heretic assumption that wooden sledges were reinforced with pieces of stone which could last for a longer period sliding on rock surface. Was that the case? If we consider that carriages or sledges had been pulled either by men or animals the rock surface between ruts should be damaged, showing some smoothness. It is not the case. How were the vehicles moved then?
Another question arises challenging this enigma. What kind of material had been carried across the islands in huge amounts for a long period of time? Mostly the answer is blocks of stone, especially some of them are running near ancient quarries traces of which still can be seen. But they are dated only back to Roman times, some of them being even younger. Another question is why curt ruts wouldn't end at those spots? They are passing them going seemingly towards nowhere. Literally.
Some of them would "fly" over the edge of a vertical rock wall as at Dingli Cliffs. Others would "dive" into the sea waters as those at Marsaxxlock on the southeastern part of Malta. Amateur divers followed them on the sea bed to considerable depth. Were they made before Malta became an island? But that would put dating for tens thousands of years further back in history! Due to our knowledge no one had been undertaken organized work at that time. They were mere gatherers, we were told! Yet, at Clapham Juncion cart ruts run underneath the soil, that one being dated at 60,000 years. Are they even older?
Some explorers bring them in connection with Maltese temples, ancient megalithic structures, some of them being recognized as the oldest still existing stone buildings on our planet. Strangely enough, no traces of cart ruts had been ever found at those spots. There are some in the vicinity, but never reaching the temple itself. The theory goes that stone blocks had been brought on sledges from distant quarries and used in construction. But, as huge as those temples are, the amount of material required for their construction wouldn't exceed few thousand tons. Would transport of that weight cut such deep traces into limestone? I don't think so. Those ruts had been cut by billion tons of material being transported over the island. For what purpose?
Maybe the answer lies inside the temples as they are even more sophisticated that we thought previously.