Abstract
THE MALTESE CART-RUTS.—In Man for February, Miss M. A. Murray discusses, with a number of illustrations, the possible origin and purpose of the socalled cart-ruts of Malta. These cart-ruts are disappearing, but a series of air photographs, to be the basis of a complete map, is now being prepared by Prof. Zammit and Commodore Clark Hall. As regards their origin, it is clear that they are not the well-known natural parallel fissures which occur in limestone, for they curve, and are equidistant throughout their length, the gauge being a little greater than that of a Maltese cart. The depth is not great, being about a foot. The Greeks appear to have cut similar ruts to facilitate the passage of carts over rough ground, but the curves for passing do not occur in Malta. There is a network of the ruts all over the island, and short lengths are frequent in connexion with megalithic monuments. This,is an indication of age, which is also supported by the fact that they were made when the configuration of the island was different. One at St. George's Bay was evidently made across a gulley now covered by the sea, as it appears on both sides of the bay. Tracks also lead to the edge of cliffs, where they end abruptly. A tradition says that the tracks were made for a boat which went on wheels. It is possible that they are part of a road system which was superseded by the Roman roads.
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Research Items. Nature 121, 297–299 (1928). https://doi.org/10.1038/121297a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/121297a0