Heritage Malta Publishing has released a new scientific volume titled Għar Dalam: A Window Into Malta’s Past Quaternary Faunas. The book presents the most comprehensive overview to date of Malta’s Quaternary Period, with a particular focus on Għar Dalam, the site containing the islands’ most extensive sequence of Quaternary sediments.
Authored by geologist and palaeontologist Michael Gatt, the hardback publication re-examines fossil records from the 19th century to the present. It introduces a new biochronological framework for Maltese faunal assemblages, extending the timeline of pre-human life in Malta back to around 400,000 years ago.
The research covers all known fossiliferous sites in the archipelago, with detailed comparisons to equivalent sites in Sicily, providing insights into Pleistocene faunal exchanges between the two regions.
Author Michael GattGħar Dalam, one of Malta’s most iconic archaeological locations, features prominently in the study. The book presents a revised stratigraphy for the cave, covering deposits likely ranging from the late Middle Pleistocene to recent history.
Gatt critically reassesses previous excavations and proposes a new theory on how the site’s sediments may have accumulated.
Richly illustrated, the publication is intended for a wide audience, including researchers, students and all those with an interest in Malta’s geology, palaeontology and natural history.
Għar Dalam: A Window Into Malta’s Past Quaternary Faunas is now available for purchase through Heritage Malta’s online store at: heritagemalta.mt/store/ ghar-dalam-a-window-into-maltas-past-quaternary-faunas/.