Ghar il-Kbir – Glimpses of Maltan Cavemen
Existence of cavemen seems a weird thought for many who are still unprepared to believe that early men lived in caves. Well, History has its own evidences to unfurl the veracity.
One such interesting evidence of cavemen is available at Ghar il-Kbir (the Great Cave) in the island of Malta, south of Sicily. Although there is no corroboration about the date of the earliest settlers at Ghar il-Kbir, however its first allusion can be found in 1544, referred in Simone Camilleri de gar il-chibir.
German scholar Athanasius Kircher provides a vivid elaboration of the Ghar il-Kbir, in his Mundus Subterraneus. The Great Cave is an assemblage of eight smaller caves on two different levels, which encloses a massive natural cavern. Smaller caves were inhabited by the cavemen, with stonewalls at the entrance as well as inside the cave, which separated each quarter from the other. With the roof of the cavern collapsed. Interestingly the caves lack wall painting unlike other sites, however immaculate craftsmanship of the dwellers is clearly reflected in the crosses and holy pictures. Moreover, the especially designed loops in the shelves, ducts, ceiling and niches in the Ghar il-Kbir are remarkable pieces of work that deserve a unique status in antiquity.
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