For years, remote islands like Malta were thought to have been inaccessible to humans until the rise of agriculture. However, new research led by Maltese archaeologists has uncovered evidence that hunter-gatherers reached Malta over 7,000 years ago—more than a thousand years before the first farmers.

The findings, published in Nature, show that these early humans crossed at least 100 kilometers of open sea without sails, likely using dugout canoes.

The study, led by Professor Eleanor Scerri of the Max Planck Institute and the University of Malta, and Professor Nicholas Vella of the University of Malta, documents the oldest known long-distance seafaring in the Mediterranean.

The crossing would have involved navigating with sea currents, winds, stars, and visible landmarks, requiring travel through hours of darkness even during the longest summer days.

At Għar Latnija cave in Mellieħa, researchers uncovered stone tools, hearths, and food remains. These included red deer, long believed extinct at the time, as well as tortoises and large now-extinct birds.

Evidence of marine exploitation was also found: seals, grouper, crabs, sea urchins, and thousands of edible shellfish—all cooked.

 

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Reacting to the news, Mellieħa mayor Gabriel Micallef issued a video commemorating the special day of discovery and urging not just the local council but even relevant authorities and the public, to work diligently to safeguard this important part of Maltese history.

The work was supported by Malta’s Superintendence of Cultural Heritage and funded by the European Research Council and the University of Malta.

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