Persistent features from a palaeo-landscape: the ancient tracks of the Maltese Islands

The ancient Maltese tracks or 'cart-ruts' remain an enigma; they have not b een satisfactorily explained. This subject is reviewed as a precursor to a research agenda focusing on a geoarchaeological analysis of;the tracks with in: a GIS reconstruction of the Maltese palaeo-landscape. Conjectures on th e origin, function and date of these persistent and intriguing anthropogeni c features are discussed in the context of the prehistoric archaeology and natural resource geography of the islands. It is argued that the track netw ork represents a key input into a coherent,reconstruction of an ancient and unique landscape.