Maltese ancient and late medieval water management systems

Abstract

Disparities in ground water potential in different regions of Malta led past inhabitants to respond differently to their hydraulic needs. Perennial water sources are scarce and where available, are mainly confined to valleys in north and north-west Malta. This study attempts an overview of past water management and harvesting techniques used in Malta from the eight century BC, till the closure of the Late Medieval period, in the first half of the sixteenth century AD. The emerging scenario for Maltese settlements in antiquity shows the widespread use of cistern technology. In areas where subterranean water sources were detected, wells were also resorted to. Little is known about the Maltese Byzantine period spanning from around 535 AD to 870 AD*, but from a hydrological viewpoint, the practised water harvesting techniques were probably a continuation of the later Roman Maltese period. Numerous subterranean water extraction galleries located to the north and north-west Malta are also discussed. These water extraction systems are similar to Qanat systems and possibly filtered into Malta from neighbouring Sicily during the course of the Later Medieval.This study also examines the water yielding potential of Globigerina Limestone deposits and their utilisation within a historical and archaeological context.