Malta's Cart Ruts Formed Over Millennia, Not Just Prehistory
New analysis of Malta's extensive bedrock grooves reveals a cart rut network used for thousands of years across Phoenician, Roman, and Byzantine periods, challenging theories of a solely prehistoric origin.
Analysis of deep bedrock grooves shows Malta's cart ruts were used across multiple cultural periods rather than originating solely in prehistoric times. Archaeologists have identified over 2,600 individual tracks stretching nearly 50 kilometers, with evidence confirming the network reached its greatest extent during Roman rule.
The research, led by Joel Grima of the University of Malta, challenges long-held theories that the island's famous parallel grooves were created primarily between 5200 and 750 B.C. The study suggests the ruts date from Phoenician colonization around 700 B.C. through to the end of the Byzantine period around A.D. 870. It does not, however, rule out prehistoric origins for some individual tracks.
Roman period expansion of the road network
Evidence confirms the cart rut network reached its greatest extent during Roman rule, connecting farms, quarries and ports. Grima proposes the road network expanded significantly after Phoenician settlement. Findings from the Domus Romana site near Mdina indicate grooves date to the Roman period at the latest.
Historical records from Marsa describe cart ruts connecting a Roman warehouse with a nearby harbor. The study suggests the tracks were part of an extensive system facilitating movement and trade, with parallels to evidence found in Pompeii.
Network scale and functional evidence
The study examined 228 archaeological sites using drone photography, digital mapping, satellite imagery and excavation records. It identified 2,628 cart ruts and analyzed their relationship with other features. The data reveals a deeply integrated transport infrastructure.
| Feature | Count / Measurement | Relationship to Ruts |
|---|---|---|
| Cart Ruts Identified | 2,628 tracks | N/A |
| Total Network Length | Nearly 50 km (31 miles) | N/A |
| Burial Sites Near Tracks | 34% of 1,690 features | Located within 50 meters |
| Quarries Cutting Tracks | 112 instances | Cutting across existing ruts |
| Grooves in Quarry Floors | 17 instances | Worn into quarry surfaces |
Grima states the ruts span several cultural phases over millennia. The 112 instances where quarries cut across existing tracks, and 17 where grooves are worn into quarry floors, demonstrate prolonged and changing use. Repeated traffic from heavy carts with metal-rimmed wheels is proposed as the primary cause of groove formation, with soil erosion exposing underlying rock and allowing wheels to leave deeper marks over time.
Joel Grima noted that "similar cart ruts can be found in urban areas of Europe, Asia, and North America." The research was published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. The study concludes that Malta's cart rut network expanded after Phoenician settlement and reached its maximum extent under Roman rule.
