Neolithic Ritual on the Island Archipelago of Malta
This paper addresses the ritual of Neolithic Malta in its island context drawing on recent research by the FRAGSUS project. Ritualised club houses placed in horticultural enclosures formed the focal point of the prehistoric Maltese landscape in the fourth and third millennia BC, providing a stable e...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-05-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/5/464 |
| _version_ | 1797496058126794752 |
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| author | Simon Stoddart |
| author_facet | Simon Stoddart |
| author_sort | Simon Stoddart |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper addresses the ritual of Neolithic Malta in its island context drawing on recent research by the FRAGSUS project. Ritualised club houses placed in horticultural enclosures formed the focal point of the prehistoric Maltese landscape in the fourth and third millennia BC, providing a stable exploitation of the islands by the small populations of the period. This was a period when connectivity was more challenging than in the Bronze Age which followed, when Malta became part of the wider ritual patterns of the central Mediterranean and beyond. The paper provides discussion of the leading issues and arguments applied to this rich case study of island ritual. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T01:58:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cfc645c2f8a6411fbad177c14bec2178 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T01:58:14Z |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-cfc645c2f8a6411fbad177c14bec21782023-11-23T12:53:31ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442022-05-0113546410.3390/rel13050464Neolithic Ritual on the Island Archipelago of MaltaSimon Stoddart0Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1TN, UKThis paper addresses the ritual of Neolithic Malta in its island context drawing on recent research by the FRAGSUS project. Ritualised club houses placed in horticultural enclosures formed the focal point of the prehistoric Maltese landscape in the fourth and third millennia BC, providing a stable exploitation of the islands by the small populations of the period. This was a period when connectivity was more challenging than in the Bronze Age which followed, when Malta became part of the wider ritual patterns of the central Mediterranean and beyond. The paper provides discussion of the leading issues and arguments applied to this rich case study of island ritual.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/5/464club houseconnectivityMaltaMediterraneanritual |
| spellingShingle | Simon Stoddart Neolithic Ritual on the Island Archipelago of Malta Religions club house connectivity Malta Mediterranean ritual |
| title | Neolithic Ritual on the Island Archipelago of Malta |
| title_full | Neolithic Ritual on the Island Archipelago of Malta |
| title_fullStr | Neolithic Ritual on the Island Archipelago of Malta |
| title_full_unstemmed | Neolithic Ritual on the Island Archipelago of Malta |
| title_short | Neolithic Ritual on the Island Archipelago of Malta |
| title_sort | neolithic ritual on the island archipelago of malta |
| topic | club house connectivity Malta Mediterranean ritual |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/5/464 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT simonstoddart neolithicritualontheislandarchipelagoofmalta |