Ghar Dalam reveals ice age creatures on Malta
The Ghar Dalam cave was formed about 10,000 years ago during the last ice age. The limestone was worn away as water from a river above seeped down to create the hollow space as the river continued to erode the limestone from above. At one point, the river broke through and dumped all of its deposits into the cave. (Malta has no rivers in the present day.)
These deposits included the bones of several different species that no longer exist on Malta like dwarf elephants, dwarf hippos and deer. There were actually two species of elephants on Malta and they were hairy to cope with the cooler weather. Other than for a very short time when brown bears, foxes and wolves were found on Malta, the island was largely free of predators.
The cave itself was used by Malta’s first settlers about 7,000 years ago, and the artifacts found in the cave give credence to the idea that these settlers may have come from Sicily. When the cave was explored in the early 1900s, the major bone found was the teeth of animals. There have been no full skeletons of animals found from the ice age.
While the museum has two sections, one preserving the original display of bones and the other being a little more modernized, the complex itself is small. Those used to the caves of the United States will be a little disappointed with the 65 meters of limestone cave that is opened to the public, but the grounds are well-kept and the plants are beautiful. Those with limited time in Malta and no interest in animals that used to be on the island can skip this attraction for the more interesting sites that the island has to offer.
These deposits included the bones of several different species that no longer exist on Malta like dwarf elephants, dwarf hippos and deer. There were actually two species of elephants on Malta and they were hairy to cope with the cooler weather. Other than for a very short time when brown bears, foxes and wolves were found on Malta, the island was largely free of predators.
The cave itself was used by Malta’s first settlers about 7,000 years ago, and the artifacts found in the cave give credence to the idea that these settlers may have come from Sicily. When the cave was explored in the early 1900s, the major bone found was the teeth of animals. There have been no full skeletons of animals found from the ice age.
While the museum has two sections, one preserving the original display of bones and the other being a little more modernized, the complex itself is small. Those used to the caves of the United States will be a little disappointed with the 65 meters of limestone cave that is opened to the public, but the grounds are well-kept and the plants are beautiful. Those with limited time in Malta and no interest in animals that used to be on the island can skip this attraction for the more interesting sites that the island has to offer.