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The first farmers settled in the Maltese islands around
5200 BC, during the Ghar Dalam phase. This cultural change
was the result of long processes that had begun centuries
before throughout the whole of the Mediterranean. The
most visible features of these processes were closely
linked to global changes in climate, rising temperatures,
changing sea levels as well as the spread of agriculture.
Agriculture, unlike hunting and gathering, guaranteed
a more reliable source of food and the possibility of
seasonal storage. It had a great impact on the environment.
Such an impact had larger effects in the Maltese islands,
where land is limited, and critical resources are at a
premium. Forest clearing, which was one of the impacts
was necessary for the creation of fields. The settlers
had to adapt to the changing environment. They had to
create new social structures and new settlements. They
developed their arts and crafts, and their own religious
rituals.
For a full millennium or so after the introduction of
farming (Ghar Dalam, Skorba and early Zebbug phases 5000
- 4000 BC) the Maltese islands were to experience the
first of a series of cultural changes
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