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The Island of Malta contains some interesting features which remain a mystery to scholars of both pre-history and history. The island is formed from limestone and within great patches of these lie the strange and enchanting cart ruts. They are found all over the island and they are lines, which run in pairs like tyre tracks except they form deep grooves in the limestone rock, rather than leaving surface tread.

The experts have agreed that these are not natural features, for example not caused by water run off, and this is about the only thing that they agree on. There is no consensus on age, although it is agreed they are probably pre-historic while others suggest Roman. As for who made them, the cart ruts, which often curve round corners and intercept each other are often associated with small scale limestone quarrying and this would be the most plausible explanation as also on Malta are scores of pre-historic temple sites made from the limestone rock. This rock would need to be moved somehow – hence the name ‘cart ruts’. A popular theory is the cart ruts were made by Neolithic or Bronze Age man dragging quarried limestone rocks to build these temples. However, the ruts cannot be traced from beginning to end as modern roads, farms and housing have destroyed their routes so this is impossible to prove. Also, the form of transportation involved also remains a mystery, as the expert’s debate whether this would have been in the form of a sledge. If so, would this have been pulled by domesticated animal, because there would be track marks expected to be associated with them, and as such, there are none. A possible explanation to this could be the ancient soil tracks covering the ruts containing traces were eroded away. So nobody really knows.

There are more of these ruts in for example, Sicily, an island not far from Malta and some in southern Italy itself. All remain a mystery. A beautiful mystery at that – when I visited the largest site on Malta, nick-named Clapham Junction due to the amount of cart ruts found here, the site was peaceful, and covered in purple and white autumn crocus’ adding to the me mystery and beauty of this site. Sometimes it is the sense of mystery that is the most interesting feature of historical sites.

Ref: David H Trump, Malta Prehistory and Temples