Environmental Chronology: Early Holocene & First Human Settlement (ca. 5200 BCE)

Period Context: The Early Holocene

Pre-Human Natural Environment (Before 5200 BCE)

First Human Arrival: Neolithic Colonists (~5200 BCE)

Deforestation and Vegetation Change

Early Agriculture and Land Use

Water Use and Settlement Location

Biodiversity and Faunal Impact

Fire as a Land-Management Tool

Key Site: Għar Dalam Cave

Summary Table: Environmental Transformation (ca. 5200 BCE Onward)

Legacy of the First Human Settlement

Ghar Dalam Cave

The Early Holocene & First Human Settlement of the Maltese Islands (ca. 5200 BCE) was a transformative period that marks the arrival of humans and the beginning of significant ecological change after thousands of years of relatively stable, post-glacial natural development.

Period Context: The Early Holocene

Pre-Human Natural Environment (Before 5200 BCE)

Climate & Geography

• Mild Mediterranean climate (warmer and wetter than today).
  
• Sea levels rising after the Last Glacial Maximum (~120 meters lower in 20,000 BCE).
  
• Maltese islands had already become isolated from Sicily by about 10,000–9000 BCE.
  

Flora

• Pollen records suggest:
  
  • Mixed woodlands: Holm oak (Quercus ilex), Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis), carob, wild olive, lentisk.
    
  • Maquis and garigue vegetation common on ridges and shallow soils.
    

Fauna

• Native species prior to humans:
  
  • Dwarf elephants (Palaeoloxodon mnaidriensis) and hippos (extinct ~10,000 BCE).
    
  • Small mammals: shrews, dormice.
    
  • Migratory birds, reptiles, amphibians.
    
  • No large predators or herbivores remaining after the Pleistocene.
    

Conclusion:

Malta was a relatively wild, wooded, and biodiverse archipelago with no significant large mammals at the time of first human contact.

First Human Arrival: Neolithic Colonists (~5200 BCE)

Origin & Culture

• Settlers came from Sicily, likely part of the Stentinello culture.
  
• Brought:
  
  • Farming knowledge
    
  • Domesticated plants and animals
    
  • Pottery and stone tools
    

Key Site: Għar Dalam Cave

• Contains the earliest layers of Neolithic human activity.
  
• Stratigraphy includes layers of:
  
  • Animal bones (e.g., deer, birds)
    
  • Charcoal (evidence of fire)
    
  • Pottery shards and flint tools
    

Deforestation and Vegetation Change

Initial Impact

• Settlers began clearing forest for:
  
  • Small-scale farming
    
  • Settlements
    
  • Fuel (cooking, heating, pottery firing)
    
• Pollen records from cores at Marsaxlokk, Burmarrad, and Buskett show:
  
  • Rapid decline in arboreal pollen (oak, pine)
    
  • Increase in herbaceous species and cereals (wheat, barley)
    
  • Charcoal particles – evidence of deliberate burning
    

Garigue Expansion

• As forests were cleared, garigue and steppe vegetation spread.
  
• This secondary vegetation became dominant in areas with shallow soils.
  

Conclusion:

The Neolithic settlement initiated Malta’s first major wave of deforestation, a trend that would continue for millennia.

Early Agriculture and Land Use

Farming Introduction

• Cultivated plants:
  
  • Cereals (wheat, barley)
    
  • Legumes (lentils, peas)
    
  • Possibly flax for textiles
    
• Domesticated animals:
  
  • Sheep, goats, pigs, and cattle
    
  • Brought over by boat from Sicily
    

Land Use Patterns

• Farming was likely slash-and-burn on small clearings near freshwater sources.
  
• Early fields may have been in Burmarrad Valley, Wied Żembaq, or Marsaxlokk, where soils are deeper.
  

Impact:

• Soil degradation began early due to overuse of shallow soils.
  
• Grazing pressure from goats likely suppressed woodland regrowth.
  

Water Use and Settlement Location

• No rivers or lakes meant reliance on:
  
  • Natural springs (e.g., near Buskett and Rabat)
    
  • Rainwater catchment in natural rock basins
    
• Early settlers likely chose lowland valleys near water sources and arable land.
  

Settlement Pattern

• Small, dispersed hamlets or caves.
  
• Early dwellings possibly made from organic materials (no surviving structures from this phase).
  

Biodiversity and Faunal Impact

• Rapid decline in wild species post-settlement:
  
  • Overhunting of birds and small mammals
    
  • Habitat loss from clearing and grazing
    
• Introduction of invasive species (e.g. rats, dogs, possibly rabbits) through human transport.
  

Extinct or Vanished Species:

• Several native birds and mammals disappeared from the fossil record by the end of the Neolithic.
  

Fire as a Land-Management Tool

• Charcoal layers in Għar Dalam and other sediment cores indicate:
  
  • Use of fire for land clearing
    
  • Possibly seasonal burning to promote pasture
    

Environmental Consequences:

• Altered soil chemistry
  
• Increased erosion from slope burn-off
  
• More fire-adapted species like thyme and fennel became common
  

Key Site: Għar Dalam Cave

This cave provides a continuous record from the late Pleistocene to early Holocene and is the key stratigraphic archive for Malta’s prehistoric ecology.

Summary Table: Environmental Transformation (ca. 5200 BCE Onward)

Legacy of the First Human Settlement

Enduring Contributions:

• First use of Malta as a managed, human-altered landscape.
  
• Introduction of staple crops and domesticated animals still present today.
  

Lasting Environmental Costs:

• First wave of deforestation and species extinction.
  
• Set the ecological stage for later pressure from the Temple Builders.