Recent archaeological discoveries in Malta have uncovered thrilling new details. The Pacific’s first colonizers, the island’s original inhabitants, were oceanic navigators, masters of long-distance migration over water. This exciting and pioneering research demonstrates that humans first colonized Malta over 8,500 years ago. This date is a thousand years earlier than was once thought. Excavations at the Latnija site in northern Malta continued from 2021 through 2023. From the impressive volumes of data collected, they made groundbreaking discoveries about the way early hunter-gatherers lived.
Malta, this tiny archipelago in the central Mediterranean Sea, lies around 85 kilometers south from the Italian island of Sicily, its closest neighbor. What’s even more remarkable is that these Stone Age immigrants had the seafaring prowess needed to directly cross this vast distance between islands. Archaeologist Rowan McLaughlin from Maynooth University in Ireland remarked that the expansion of humans to Malta represents “one of the most fundamentally transformative things that ever happened to Europe.”
The archaeological team excavated numerous sedimentation strata that uncovered material remnants of human presence. What they uncovered were ashes from hearths, 64 stone tools, and remains of wild game that displayed butcher marks. The stone tools found at Latnija bear a strong resemblance to those used by their European hunter-gatherer counterparts of the period. This conclusion supports the theory that the first settlers were skilled and successful at adjusting themselves to their new landscapes.
In addition to the tools and remains, DNA analysis of an 8,000-year-old individual from Tunisia indicates a connection to European hunter-gatherers. This genetic evidence supports the idea that early settlers were making long, difficult migrations. In this way, they forged an important link between Malta and the developing European continent at large.
The discoveries give us a glimpse into the seafaring skills possessed by these Stone Age immigrants. The boat team believes these navigators were elite. They organized the crewed, long-distance ocean travel, at times finding their way for portions of the night. Dr. Alan Scerri, a member of the research team, noted that “they would have had to have navigated at least through part of the night,” indicating a high level of maritime proficiency.
Additional proof of the effectiveness of this technique comes from trials done using full size reproductions of the site’s canoes. These canoes, which were carved from single tree trunks and could be as long as 11 meters, are further testament to the astounding craftsmanship of the first peoples. Who knew they were capable of running like a human at nearly 4 km/hr! To get to Malta, you would begin your journey from an eastward position such as the Gulf of Gela. Fortunately, with the current east-west ocean current behind you, it’s a bit easier to make the trip.
Scerri elaborated on some unique features of these canoes, describing them as having “weird holes in them that might point to some sort of primitive outriggers.” This design likely offered more predictability and cargo hold support during long-term oceanic voyages.
Researchers were particularly struck by the remarkable proof of their navigational abilities. Apparently, there was no includable pattern of systematic migration to/from Malta. Rather, the evidence shows it was at best temporary visits or seasonal settlements by these forest-dwelling hunter-gatherers.
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