Mnajdra Here Nor There

Day: 257

Towns / Cities Visited: 170

Countries Visited: 30

Steps Taken Today: 12,309

Steps Taken Around the World: 4,189,266

Although against my brain’s deepest desires, we awoke early once again. An action-packed day lay before us, with not one, not two, but three archaeological sights on the agenda. As such we mechanically went through our morning routine until we were in a suitable state to leave the house. Jumping in the car we headed south in search of adventure.

As I’ve explained, the history of Malta spans millennia, and that’s just human inhabitation. Today we were starting our day at a site which has a rich history from long before our ancestors turned up, the Għar Dalam cave. Arriving only twenty minutes later, we found a parking spot and hotfooted it straight into the visitor centre, scanning our Heritage Malta passes once again, before commencing our crash course on the cave’s history in the two large rooms flanking the reception area. Within these rooms lay all you need to know about Għar Dalam.

This natural cave is only 144 metres long, but its study has provided scientists with overwhelming resources to learn about the pre-historic landscape of Malta. Not only does the museum run you through the formation of the cave and its rock layering, but the majority delves deep into the life which was once held within it. One of the most important discoveries here was that of the oldest Neolithic human remains of…