Environmental Chronology: Temple Period (ca. 3600–2500 BCE)

The Temple Period in Malta (ca. 3600–2500 BCE) — a remarkable era in which the islands hosted one of the world’s earliest known megalithic cultures. This period is not only culturally extraordinary but also environmentally significant, as it marks Malta’s first major anthropogenic transformation of its natural landscape.

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Also known as the Neolithic Temple Period, this era is named after Malta’s unique megalithic temple builders, a prehistoric society that altered the land dramatically despite limited tools.

Key Sub-Phases

Culture/Sub-Period	Approx. Dates	Key Sites
Ġgantija Phase	3600–3200 BCE	Ġgantija (Gozo), Santa Verna
Saflieni Phase	3300–3000 BCE	Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum
Tarxien Phase	3150–2500 BCE	Tarxien Temples, Mnajdra, Ħaġar Qim

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Vegetation and Deforestation

Early Natural Landscape

• Before human activity, Malta likely had mixed woodland and maquis:
  
  • Holm oak (Quercus ilex)
    
  • Pine (Pinus halepensis)
    
  • Carob, lentisk, wild olive
    
• These were accompanied by garigue and steppe in drier zones.
  

Human-Induced Change

• Evidence from pollen and charcoal studies shows:
  
  • Extensive deforestation starting around 3800–3500 BCE.
    
  • Wood used for:
    
    • Fuel (cooking, heating)
      
    • Temple construction (roof supports, door frames)
      
    • Agriculture (clearing land for fields and pastures)
      
  • Slash-and-burn practices likely used to clear dense shrubland.
    

Consequences

• Soil erosion began as tree cover diminished.
  
• Reduction in native biodiversity.
  
• Expansion of secondary vegetation (e.g., grasslands, hardy shrubs).
  

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Agriculture and Land Use

Farming Practices

• Temple builders were sedentary agriculturalists:
  
  • Cultivated wheat, barley, lentils, peas, and flax.
    
  • Kept domesticated animals: sheep, goats, pigs, cattle.
    

Tools & Techniques

• Used flint and obsidian tools, and antler picks.
  
• Practiced dry farming (no irrigation systems).
  
• Built rudimentary terraces on slopes.
  
• Cleared fields in valley bottoms and flatter uplands.
  

Environmental Effects

• Overcultivation and soil fatigue likely contributed to eventual collapse.
  
• Intensive land use, particularly in the Tarxien phase, may have exceeded the land’s regenerative capacity.

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Water Management

• No rivers or lakes, so early Maltese relied on:
  
  • Rock-cut cisterns and water holes.
    
  • Rainwater collection in natural depressions.
    
• Water likely carried from sources by clay vessels or skins.
  

Sustainable Practice

• Their reliance on rainwater harvesting and small-scale use meant their water systems were low-impact — but also vulnerable to drought.
  

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Hagar Qim Temple, now under cover

Temple Construction and Quarrying

Major Environmental Undertaking

• Temple building required large-scale quarrying of globigerina limestone.
  
• Transport of multi-ton megaliths (some over 20 tonnes) likely involved:
  
  • Rollers (tree trunks or stone balls)
    
  • Manpower and wooden sledges
    

Environmental Cost

• Localized habitat destruction near temple sites and quarries.
  
• Quarry pits and extraction scars still visible today.
  

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Livestock and Grazing Pressure

• Goats and sheep were the main grazing animals.
  
• Overgrazing contributed to:
  
  • Soil compaction
    
  • Loss of undergrowth
    
  • Delayed or prevented forest regeneration
    

Increased grazing pressure likely paralleled population growth during the peak of the Tarxien Phase.

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Biodiversity and Wildlife Impact

• Prehistoric Malta had:
  
  • Small mammals (e.g., dormice)
    
  • Reptiles and amphibians
    
  • Birds, especially migratory species
    

Impact of Human Activity

• Habitat loss from farming, quarrying, and fire reduced species richness.
  
• Birds hunted for food, possibly leading to localized extinctions.
  
• Charcoal analysis shows increase in pyrophytic plants (fire-tolerant species), indicating frequent burning.
  

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Environmental Knowledge and Ritual

• Temple layouts and orientations suggest astronomical and seasonal awareness (e.g., solstices).
  
• Underground temples (e.g. Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum) may reflect a symbolic return to the earth, suggesting early spiritual links to the natural world.
  

This implies a culture with a deep respect for environmental cycles, even as their subsistence activities altered the landscape.

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Case Study Sites

Site	Environmental Significance
Ġgantija (Gozo)	Oldest megalithic temple; signs of nearby deforestation and clearance
Mnajdra & Ħaġar Qim	Temples facing solar events; located in coastal garigue zones
Tarxien Temples	Urban location; extensive quarrying, likely permanent loss of vegetation
Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum	Excavated into bedrock; unique subterranean space, likely water-linked

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Summary Table: Environmental Impact of Temple Period

Aspect	Impact
Deforestation	High – major clearance of native woodland
Agriculture	Expanding – led to erosion and soil exhaustion in later phases
Water use	Minimal – small-scale rainwater harvesting
Quarrying	Localized – for temple building, but destructive near megalithic sites
Biodiversity	Decline – due to habitat loss, hunting, and grazing
Environmental worldview	Complex – symbolic connection to nature, despite ecological disruption

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Collapse of the Temple Culture (ca. 2500 BCE)

• Environmental degradation may have contributed to the culture's collapse:
  
  • Exhausted soils
    
  • Overgrazing
    
  • Possible climate variability or droughts
    

Combined with social and demographic stress, these factors likely led to abandonment of temple-building and a return to simpler subsistence strategies.

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Legacy of the Temple Period

Enduring Features:

• Malta’s archaeological landscape remains dominated by megalithic temples.
  
• Many dry-stone walls and field boundaries may have roots in Neolithic spatial organization.
  

Ecological Consequences:

• This was the first period of large-scale environmental manipulation.
  
• Set in motion a long-term trajectory of deforestation and land pressure still visible today.
  

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