Skorba Prehistoric Site

Skorba

Malta · Mġarr

SettlementUnknownUNESCO · 1992
Approximate period5,200 BCE — 2,500 BCENeolithic; settlement and megalithic temple phases See on the map ↓

In brief

Remains of houses and two megalithic structures from different phases have been excavated at Skorba. The findings have contributed to understanding the daily life and chronology of Maltese Neolithic communities.

What was found?

  • 1Oval stone and mudbrick dwellings

    These are residential remains consisting of small buildings with irregular rock floors. Together with the paved open areas beside them, they provide an opportunity to examine Neolithic domestic life.

  • 2Fragments of stylized female figurines

    These are fragments depicting humans found inside the small buildings. They show that figurines occurred in the surroundings of these small buildings as well as in large megalithic structures.

  • 3Pottery fragments

    Large quantities of pottery fragments were found inside the small buildings. Together with the residential remains and other finds, they form the material traces of Neolithic life.

  • 4Animal bones

    These are animal remains recovered together with pottery and figurine fragments. They provide data for investigating the use of the small buildings and human-animal relationships in the settlement.

  • 5Two megalithic structures

    One structure belongs to the Ġgantija phase and the other to the later Tarxien phase. They document the tradition of megalithic construction maintained at the same site during different periods.

What does it point to?

Skorba allows Malta's prehistory to be understood through houses and everyday finds alongside monumental structures. The presence of dwellings together with megalithic structures from different phases offers an opportunity to compare settlement life and the development of the building tradition.

What did it teach us?

  1. It documented that Malta's Neolithic inhabitants lived in stone and mudbrick dwellings.
  2. It revealed figurine fragments, pottery, and animal bones in association with small buildings.
  3. It showed that the megalithic structures at the same site belonged to different phases.

Record

Culture
Maltese Neolithic communities
First modern dig
1961
Team / historical
David Trump; 1961–1963 excavations
Coordinates
35.9210°, 14.3778°

Sources

  1. heritagemalta.mt
  2. heritagemalta.mt
  3. whc.unesco.org
  4. whc.unesco.org

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12.000

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