The First Maltese: Unravelling Malta's Hunter-Gatherer Past
Schedule
Thu May 28 2026 at 06:30 pm to 07:30 pm
UTC+02:00Location
Knisja tal-Gizwiti, Triq il-Merkanti, Valletta, Malta | Valletta, MA
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The First Maltese: Unravelling Malta’s Hunter-Gatherer PastRecent archaeological discoveries at Latnija Cave have confirmed that the first people on Malta were not farmers, as previously thought, but rather hunter-gatherers. This hunter-gatherer presence on Malta connects the island’s past with a much deeper human prehistory and the peopling of Europe. It also sheds extraordinary light on the capabilities of Mediterranean hunter-gatherers, who undertook among the earliest longest distance sea journeys in the world. This talk sheds light on this newly discovered chapter of Maltese prehistory, presenting what we know about these first ‘Maltese’, and the archaeological science behind it all.
Speakers
Prof. Eleanor Scerri (Human Palaeosystems Group, Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Germany, Department of Classics and Archaeology, University of Malta, Malta) is an evolutionary archaeologist at the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology in Germany where she is the head of the Human Palaeosystems Research Group. Her research focuses on the articulation between material culture, genetics and biogeography to further theoretical, methodological and scientific advances in the field of human origins and the roots of the Anthropocene. She is also an Associate Professor at the Department of Classics and Archaeology at the University of Malta, and the Principal Investigator of the European Research Council funded ‘IslandLab’ project, which is exploring the transition from pristine natural systems to human dominated landscapes on Malta.
Prof. Nicholas Vella (Department of Classics and Archaeology, University of Malta) works on Mediterranean history and archaeology in the Department of Classics and Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, at the University of Malta. His research looks at long-term island history with a focus on the transition between late prehistory and Phoenician settlement. He is also interested in life-writing as a part of the history of archaeology in British colonial settings. He co-directs the excavations at Latnija Cave (Malta).
Speakers:
Prof. Eleanor Scerri
Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology, Germany
Department of Classics and Archaeology, University of Malta
Prof. Nicholas Vella
Department of Classics and Archaeology, University of Malta
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Where is it happening?
Knisja tal-Gizwiti, Triq il-Merkanti, Valletta, MaltaEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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