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Archaeological remains dating to the Skorba Phases suggest
that by that time, the islanders had developed complex
social systems based on a life style of mixed farming,
domestic industry and ritual beliefs. At Skorba these
critical features were reflected in a small village complex
in which domestic huts were provided with ritual shrines.
The Grey Skorba Phase (4500 - 4100 BC)
This period is marked by a distinctive grey coloured pottery
without decoration. Other remains of this period include
a series of bone implements, personal ornaments made from
cow bone, a cockle and a cowrie. Stone implements and
related material include a number of sling stones, probably
used for hunting, as well as a number of flakes made of
imported obsidian and flint.
The Red Skorba Phase (4400 - 4100 BC)
This period is marked by a very distinctive style of ceramic
vessels which, although clearly related to the earlier
Grey Skorba wares, are distinctively red, often very bright
red, in colour. More substantial village remains from
this period have survived.
The Village of Skorba
The prehistoric site at Skorba was first noted during
the early years of the twentieth century. At the time,
a conspicuous megalith was recorded as a menhir, a standing
stone. In 1937 Captain Charles Zammit, curator of archaeology,
established the presence of other megaliths in the immediate
vicinity of this menhir. The site was then excavated fully
by David Trump between 1961 - 1963.
The importance of Skorba lies chiefly in the information
that it provided about Maltese prehistory.
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