Malta’s prehistory re-written: Seven takeaways from the Latnija discovery

1. Humans migrated to Malta 1,000 years before previously thought 

Until now, the first known inhabitants of Malta were believed to be Neolithic farmers who arrived around 7,500 years ago. They went on to build the megalithic temples for which the islands are famous. 

However, radiocarbon dates from charcoal and animal remains at Latnija Cave point to a much earlier, Mesolithic presence, dating back to about 8,500 years ago. This discovery pushes the timeline of human activity on the island into an era long considered too early for successful open-sea settlement.  It also sheds light on human migration patterns in which successive waves of migrants brought with them different cultural and technological innovations.

2. The first arrivals to Malta were impressive navigators 

The most astonishing implication of the Latnija Cave evidence is the maritime achievement it represents. The sea crossing from Sicily to Malta is not only long (100km) but also involves travelling beyond the visible horizon – an immense psychological and navigational leap for early seafarers. 

The study suggests that the spread of humans to Malta may have been “near the limits of regional Mesolithic adaptation”. For example, there is no evidence that Ibiza, which is around the same distance from mainland Spain as Malta is from Sicily, was colonised in the Mesolithic period. 

Experimental voyages on a replica of an Early Neolithic dug-out canoe from La Marmotta (Italy) suggest that crossings of 50km at a speed of about 4km/h (just over 2 knots) would have necessitated all daylight hours and an additional eight hours of darkness. 

The study suggests that these foragers may have used stellar navigation, paddling under the night sky and orienting themselves by constellations. These insights suggest this was not just accidental drift, but deliberate and skilled navigation, possibly honed over generations of seafaring in the central Mediterranean. Researchers also raise the possibility that these people had retained a memory of “a land to the south”, harking back to the days before sea levels began to rise.

3. Malta had a rich eco-system which included deer and foxes 

The animal remains found at the site provide a window into the island’s past biodiversity – and into the activities of its first visitors. The assemblage includes red deer, foxes, tortoises, seals, and reptiles. 

Although red deer (Cervus elaphus) are known from Pleistocene contexts in Malta, it was not previously known with any certainty that they survived into the Holocene period. While this survival is likely, the possibility that these animals were also translocated from Sicily is also possible. If they were not translocated, the findings raise an important question: Were humans responsible for the extinction of some of Malta’s iconic endemic species? 

Seal bones offer especially rare evidence of the exploitation of marine mammals in the Mesolithic – a surprising insight into the islanders’ adaptation to coastal life. 

Gnaw marks on bones indicate that foxes, whose remains have been found, were scavenging on human refuse.

4. The diet was varied and included fish, birds, snails, seals and deer 

Also recovered were the remains of fish, birds, and molluscs, pointing to an opportunistic and flexible diet. In addition to marine shells, terrestrial snails were also found. These hunter-gatherers made use of a wide range of resources, both land-based and marine, from large mammals to aquatic protein sources. Their diet would have been completely different from that of Neolithic farmers, whose diets were based on terrestrial resources, including livestock and both wild and domesticated plants.

5. They cooked and processed their food 

The site features evidence of hearths and fire use, including charcoal and charred bones. This suggests that food was processed or cooked, likely involving the roasting of meat or the preparation of plants. Botanical analysis revealed traces of carbonised wild plants and seeds. This either indicates the burning of vegetation around the site or the construction of a hearth on top of seed-laden sediments. They also used lentisk, which still grows in the vicinity of the site today, as fuel. However, the possibility that some plants were used in the cooking process cannot be excluded.

6. They used simple tools 

The stone tools recovered from Latnija Cave closely resemble microliths and bladelets found in Sicily. These include tools designed for hunting and cutting. Except for one chert artefact, all stone tools were made of limestone, much of which was derived from beach cobbles or pebbles, or sourced from terrestrial outcrops. This contrasts with more complex tools used in the Neolithic, which are made from chert (both local and imported) and small amounts of imported obsidian.

7. Not a one-off presence in Malta 

The site does not reflect a one-time landing or accident. Stratigraphic layers show repeated use over time – possibly seasonal or intermittent habitation. The foragers may have returned to Malta regularly, suggesting a deep mental mapping of the sea and the island landscape. 

This directly challenges earlier assumptions that Malta remained unvisited until the spread of agriculture. It also shows that foragers were not deterred by remoteness and that islands once thought inaccessible were well within reach. The researchers also entertain the possibility of a North African maritime connection based on similar tool making techniques on both sides of the Mediterranean Sea. But this stands to be confirmed by DNA studies.