Academics in €2.4 million study of Maltese prehistory

Academics at Queen's University Belfast have been granted a €2.4 million award to examine prehistoric society on the island of Malta.

Led by Dr Caroline Malone from the university's School of Geography, Archaeology and Palaeoecology, academics will be researching Malta from the first occupation of Neolithic farmers around 5,500BC until medieval times.

The High Commissioner for Malta to the UK, Norman Hamilton, addressed yesterday's project launch, which also involves academics from Cambridge University and the University of Malta.

Dr Malone said: "This grant is highly significant as European Research Council grants don't come along every day. The island provides us with a fascinating laboratory and we expect to gather a wealth of new information."