Todd W. Bostwick, PhD, RPA presents The Megalithic Temples and Tombs of Malta: Early Religion and Ritual in the Mediterranean, 3,600BC – 2,500 BC. Located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea and south of Sicily, the islands of Malta and Gozo contain some of the oldest Megalithic temples and tombs in the world. As early as 5,000 BC prehistoric people were farming and raising livestock on the islands, and by 3,600 BC they built megalithic temples with astronomical features and carved chambered tombs out of solid bedrock. The presence of a variety of stone and clay figurines of plump females suggest they practiced an Earth Mother cult. The origins of these ancient people remain a mystery, as does their disappearance around 2,500 BC. This talk provides numerous photos of these temples, tombs, and figurines and offers current ideas about their religion and ritual practices.
Dr. Todd Bostwick has been conducting archaeological research in the Southwest for 36 years. He was the Phoenix City Archaeologist for 21 years at Pueblo Grande Museum and is currently the Director of Archaeology at the Verde Valley Archaeology Center in Camp Verde. Dr. Bostwick has an MA in Anthropology and a PhD in History from Arizona State University (ASU). He taught classes at both ASU and Northern Arizona University for seven years and was a Senior Research Archaeologist for PaleoWest Archaeology. He has published numerous books and articles on Southwest archaeology and history, and he has received awards from the National Park Service, the Arizona Governor’s Archaeology Advisory Commission, the City of Phoenix, and the Arizona Archaeological Society. Moreover, Dr. Bostwick’s life long expertise and experience far exceed the confinements of the American Southwest with his personal activities and interests.
The general public may attend an Arizona Archaeology Society – Desert Foothills Chapter meeting at no charge, except for the member-only holiday party in December. The AAS-DFC meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month, September through May. There are refreshments available at 7 p.m. and the meeting begins at 7:30 p.m., usually ending prior to 9 p.m. The meetings are held in the community building (Maitland Hall) at The Good Shepherd of the Hills Episcopal Church, 6502 East Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek, Arizona 85331. www.azarchsoc.org/desertfoothills
