GHAR DALAM AND BORG IN-NADUR COMPLEX

Located near St. George's Bay, on the Għaxaq-Żejtun road, this is undoubtedly one of the island's most interesting prehistoric caves. Mentioned in one of the first treatises on the Maltese islands in 1847, it was in 1865 that the first excavation was carried out and it was discovered to contain fossilized bones of small mammals, including elephants and hippos, as well as giant dormouse bones and other species, namely birds, reptiles and micro-mammals such as bats. Most of these animals are thought to have arrived in Malta while it was still attached to Sicily (some 200,000 to 12,000 years ago). Traces of human occupation have also been found, including Neolithic tools. These are the oldest remains of tools used by man on Malta. The cave was also used as a place to live for many years, and was still occupied in 1911. The cave, which is 144 m long, 18 m wide and 3-6 m high, features some admirable stalactites and stalagmites. The visit is interesting in every respect, and the well-maintained site is particularly pleasant. Għar Dalam is also a site of ecological importance and part of the EU's Natura 2000 network. An endemic woodlouse(Armadillidium ghardalamensis) can be found in the cave's inner recess.

You can then visit the Borg in-Nadur prehistoric complex, home to the ruins of a Maltese megalithic complex and the remains of a fortified village dating back to the Bronze Age. It's an easy visit, as the site is only 500 metres from the prehistoric site of Għar Dalam. Its name means "fortress hill" in Maltese, as it enjoys a unique position on the heights between two valleys: Wied Żembaq and Wied Dalam. You'll notice that its spectacular facade points towards the entrance to the port of Birżebbuġia. This site was used in both the late Neolithic and Bronze Ages (3,000-700 BC). It was in the 1920s that it was excavated by archaeologist Margaret Murray, and the excavations in the Neolithic area of Borg in-Nadur have yielded crucial information that has helped to understand many aspects of Maltese Prehistory that had previously remained mysterious, such as the differences between the Neolithic and Bronze periods. Tickets must be purchased from Għar Dalam.