The Bronze Age period in Malta (2400BC - 700BC) is characterized by three distinct phases: Tarxien Cemetery phase, Borġ in-Nadur phase and Baħrija phase
Pheonician Ghajn Qajjiet ShowcaseNational Museum of Archaeology, Malta
The hall inside the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta displays the achievements of those who occupied the islands in the long period from 2400 to 700 BC.
New people arrived and took over an apparently empty island, since there is no continuity in the way of life and material remains from their predecessors, the Neolithic people.
Tarxien Temples - ExcavationsNational Museum of Archaeology, Malta
Above this he discovered another layer consisting of ash, burnt bone and numerous often intact pots of a completely different style.
Pottery typology
There are three main pottery typologies in this period
Bronze FlapsNational Museum of Archaeology, Malta
The Tarxien Cemetery type is recognized by its geometric decorations, particularly chevrons and hatched triangles
Bronze FlapsNational Museum of Archaeology, Malta
The Borg in-Nadur ware, showing parallel bands round the lip, sometimes with zigzags below
Bronze FlapsNational Museum of Archaeology, Malta
The Baħrija with simple dovetail decorations, elaborate meanders or rows of triangles with a zigzag between them.
Bronze Age Dagger (-2400/-1500)National Museum of Archaeology, Malta
The Bronze Age is as such called due to material evidence of some bronze artefacts. This material is not a local resource and was therefore imported. Only a few artefacts made from bronze were found in Malta and these are mainly in the form of daggers.
Artefacts
A number of artefacts from the Bronze Age period were found in different sites around Malta.
Temi Zammit NotesNational Museum of Archaeology, Malta
The highly stylised clay disc figurines found mainly at Tarxien Cemetery are associated with Bronze Age burials.
Since these figurines were only found in funerary contexts, they may have formed part of a burial ritual.
Bronze Age statuetteNational Museum of Archaeology, Malta
These figurines show a circular flat body in a seated position and are completely different from the statuettes which date to the previous Neolithic period.
Bronze Age Bird (-2400/-1500)National Museum of Archaeology, Malta
There are only a few animal representations dating from this period. These were found in Tarxien cemetery and are in the form of birds or ducks. It is interesting to note that they have incised on them the same decorations seen on the Tarxien cemetery pottery.
Bronze Age Weight Looms (-900/-800)National Museum of Archaeology, Malta
The large number of spindle whorls and loom weights found, particularly at Baħrija, suggest that weaving was being produced on a considerable scale, perhaps for export as well as local use.
Bronze Age Dagger Blade and hilt (-1500/-1000)National Museum of Archaeology, Malta
Għar Mirdum is the richest example of a Bronze Age cave site which can qualify as having a defensive location in view of its inaccessibility.
Bronze Age Dagger Hilt (-1500/-1000)National Museum of Archaeology, Malta
Important finds from this site, considering the scarcity of metal remains, are a bronze dagger, with an exquisitely carved bone handle, two bronze rivets and a lump of bronze which implies local metal-working.
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Retrieved information
Information about this period is gathered not only from pottery but also through other artefacts that were discovered in sites around the Maltese islands
Sherd leaf impression (-1500/-1000)National Museum of Archaeology, Malta
By far the commonest material recovered from excavated sites is broken pottery. In rare instances, particular pottery sherds give us ulterior information than normal sherds such as the one from Borg in-Nadur which has a small leaf impression.
Fish Vertebrae Necklace Detail (-2400/-1500)National Museum of Archaeology, Malta
Crucial to life at the time, as always, was food production. We know from the bones of sheep, goats, cows and pigs found on settlements, and grains of wheat and beans, either carbonised or preserved as impressions in pottery, that mixed farming was practiced.
Fish Vertebrae Necklace (-2400/-1500)National Museum of Archaeology, Malta
It is unlikely that fishing was neglected even though the only evidence is the fish vertebrae used as beads which were found in the Tarxien Cemetery.
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