The chronology of the Maltese cart ruts: a critical evaluation of the available dating evidence

The Maltese cart ruts are pairs of grooves worn into the archipelago’s bedrock surfaces, whose exact age, formation, and function have been debated for centuries. While their relative antiquity is accepted unanimously, different interpretations of their origins persist, particularly whether they are prehistoric or Classical in date. These hypotheses are derived from a disparate array of evidence, which this study brings together in conjunction with new stratigraphic, contextual, and statistical evidence from the largest survey of the Maltese cart ruts conducted to date. The survey included the identification of 2628 distinct tracks on Malta and Gozo, based on the creation of Structure from Motion (SfM) models of 155 sites, and digitisation of data from another 88. The latter included data from a series of recently discovered sites with compelling implications for the spatial organisation of ancient rural Malta, and particularly on how the cart ruts fit into the wider landscape. The survey data enabled the assessment of cart ruts and their interrelation with other features, including rock-cut burials, quarries, and agricultural trenches, at an Island-wide scale. A critical evaluation of all available dating evidence confirms that some cart ruts are conclusively Roman in date, while a broader Classical date is supported for most cart tracks. There is furthermore no solid evidence confirming a prehistoric date for any pair of Maltese cart ruts; however, the possibility cannot at present be excluded.