The Mysterious Clapham Junction Cart Tracks Of Malta

Clapham Junction is a prehistoric megalithic monument to the east of the Dingli rocks in the south-west of the island of Malta.

Clapham Junction is a prehistoric megalithic monument to the east of the Dingli rocks in the south-west of the island of Malt Clapham Junction is a prehistoric megalithic monument to the east of the Dingli rocks in the south-west of the island of Malta, 80 km from south of Italy, known for its network of fissures created in the rock. a, 80 km from south of Italy, known for its network of fissures created in the rock.

The Mysterious Clapham Junction Cart Tracks Of Malta →The exact age of the place and the purpose of its creation remain the subject of controversy, but most scientists believe that it appeared about 4,000 years ago when new settlers began arriving in Malta, that is, after the beginning of the extinction of the culture of megalithic temples on the island, at the beginning of the Bronze Age. Malta Map

Photo Source - Flickr

Cart Ruts Malta | Similar places exist in other areas of the island. The furrows reach a depth of 60 cm and are spaced from 110 to 140 cm from each other. Some of them intersect at different angles, others form nodes. One of the common names for such places is the phrase “cart ruts,” and specifically Clapham Junction (Misraħ Għar il-Kbir) is popularly referred to as the Clapham knot , the name given to him by an Englishman by the name of the interchange railway station in London. (Photo Source - Flickr)

There are several hypotheses of the origin of such furrows. There is a widespread belief that they are traces of cargo or freight transportation by sleigh or chariot, but this theory leaves several unresolved issues. If they were left by the teams themselves, the cargo carried by them should have been very heavy to leave such deep traces, and it is unclear how such transportation could have been made then, given the size of the island and its population 4,000 years ago. If these furrows were made for the passage of chariots on them, then, with a furrow depth of up to 60 cm, the wheels should have a significant diameter - at least 140 cm, which seems unlikely. However, the furrows could actually serve to move through the hills, and it was suggested that agriculture could cause soil erosion, leading to limestone exposure.

Photo Source | Flickr

One of the theories identifies traces in the rocky soil with the construction of temples in Malta, which took place approximately 1500 years before the beginning of the Bronze Age. However, no connection was found between the geographical location of the furrows and the location of the temples built during this period, as well as the nearby places of settlements of the Bronze Age. According to another version of the grooves were hollowed out by the Phoenicians in the VII century BC. e.

Additional data cast doubt on the truth of the theory of using furrows for transportation: in particular, the fact that some tracks break off at the edge of the rock while others go to sea, continuing under water, and sometimes go ashore again to the other. side of the bay. Next to the coast and to the sea, the width of the grooves laid crosswise changes. In some places, in particular in Clapham Junction (Misraħ Għar il-Kbir), one may be under the impression that there are geological figures of rectangles and triangles next to them.

According to the third theory, traces could be used as an irrigation system, and according to the fourth - they are natural faults characteristic of this region.