page_title: Għar Dalam
section_title: Stratigraphy
hierarchical_section_title: Għar Dalam / Stratigraphy
caption_attribution_description: coupe stratigraphique de la grotte de Ghar Dalam à Malte This media shows the protected monument with the number 29 in Malta.
context_page_description: Għar Dalam is a 144 metre long phreatic tube and cave, or cul-de-sac, located in the outskirts of Birżebbuġa, Malta. The cave contains the bone remains of animals that were stranded and subsequently became extinct in Malta at the end of the Last Glacial Maximum. It has lent its name to the Għar Dalam phase in Maltese prehistory, and is viewed as one of Malta's most important national monuments. Pottery similar to that found in Stentinello was found at Għar Dalam, but lacking details such as stamp decorations.
  Dwarf elephant, hippopotamus, deer and bear bone deposits found there are of different ages; the hippopotamuses became extinct about 10,000 years ago, whilst the deer species became extinct much later, about 4000 years ago during the Chalcolithic. It is also here that the earliest evidence of human settlement on Malta, some 7,400 years ago, was discovered.
context_section_description: The cave consists of six layers.
  Domestic animal layer (c. 74 cm). This layer has mainly cultivated animals in it, such as cows, horses and sheep/goats. Human remains, like pottery, flints, tools and ornaments or amulets are present here.
  Calcareous sheet (c. 0.6 cm).
  Deer Layer (c. 175 cm). The dwarf deer found in this layer are derived from the red deer (Cervus elaphus). Small numbers of carnivores are known from this layer, namely brown bear, red fox and wolf. Also big swans, giant turtles and voles are found.
  Pebble layer (c. 35 cm). This layer consists completely of small boulders and pebbles. They are indicators of a river that streamed through the cave. The stones are quite large, as it was a fast-flowing river.
  Hippopotamus layer (c. 120 cm). This layer consists of mainly Hippopotamus melitensis. Other species found are dwarf elephant and the giant dormouse Leithia cartei.
  Bone-Free clay layer (c. 125 cm). No bones found in this layer, only some impressions of plant material
caption: Stratigraphy of Għar Dalam
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