Long before sails, maps, or compasses existed, small groups of hunter-gatherers appear to have crossed open Mediterranean waters to reach Malta nearly 8,500 years ago. According to a study published in Nature, the discovery pushes back the island’s known human history by around 1,000 years and changes what researchers thought they knew about early sea travel.
The evidence comes from excavations inside Latnija Cave in northern Malta, where archaeologists uncovered several artifacts. Researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology and the University of Malta say the site points to repeated human activity long before farming communities arrived on the islands.
For years, many archaeologists believed islands like Malta were simply too remote for Mesolithic hunter-gatherers to reach. Sicily, the closest large landmass, sitsmore than 60 miles away across open water. Without sails or advanced boats, that kind of crossing sounded unlikely, and the new findings tell a different story.
A Cave That Changed The Timeline Completely
The discoveries were made at Latnija Cave in the Mellieħa region, where archaeologists spent several years excavating different layers of sediment. What they found quickly stood out: hearths, stone flakes, thick ash deposits, and huge amounts of animal remains.
The fireplaces were especially important because they showed people were not just stopping briefly on the island. They were spending time there, cooking food, and returning to the site repeatedly.
As stated by Professor Eleanor Scerri, who led the research team, archaeologists recovered “thousands of animal bones, many of them burned.”They also found that roughly a quarter of the examined remains showed signs of burning or charring. That detail may sound small, but it helped confirm that food preparation was happening inside the cave.
Before this study, Malta’s earliest known inhabitants were linked to Neolithic farming groups. The new evidence places hunter-gatherers on the island much earlier than expected.
Ancient Hunters Ate From Land and Sea
The food remains uncovered at the site painted a surprisingly detailed picture of daily life. Archaeologists identified bones and shells from red deer, tortoises, birds, fish, seals, crabs, sea urchins, and thousands of edible sea snails. And some of those animals no longer exist on Malta today. James Blinkhorn, one of the study’s authors, explained that:
“We found remains of seal, various fish, including grouper, and thousands of edible marine gastropods, crabs and sea urchins, all indisputably cooked.” And burned shells and bones scattered throughout the cave supported that conclusion.
The findings also showed how flexible these groups were. They relied on both marine and land resources to survive on a relatively small island with limited supplies. These people were not farmers bringing crops or domesticated animals with them. They were still living through hunting, gathering, fishing, and collecting wild foods.
Researchers Now See The Mediterranean Differently
One of the biggest questions raised by the discovery is how connected prehistoric communities may have been across the Mediterranean. For a long time, remote islands were often seen as isolated places that became accessible only after farming societies developed more advanced technologies. Malta now looks far less cut off than researchers once assumed.
Professor Nicholas Vella from theUniversity of Malta, explained thatthe travelers likely spent “several hours of darkness in open water” during the crossing from Sicily. Even moving at around 2.5 miles per hour, the journey would have taken many hours.
The research also suggests these groups had practical knowledge of the sea long before later maritime civilizations appeared in the Mediterranean. Researchers believe they used observation and experience rather than advanced tools to navigate.
A January 2026 correctionto the paper adjusted parts of the radiocarbon dating model used in the research. The authors said the correction did not change the main conclusion that hunter-gatherers reached Malta before the first farming communities arrived.
“The results add a thousand years to Maltese prehistory and force a re-evaluation of the seafaring abilities of Europe’s last hunter-gatherers, as well as their connections and ecosystem impacts,” Professor Scerri added.
