Malta’s Cart Ruts - Proof of Ancient Advanced Civilizations?

The surface of the islands of Malta and Gozo in the Maltese archipelago is known for the hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of parallel lines that appear to have been carved deep into the country’s stony ground. These ancient Maltese tracks – or what some refer to as “cart ruts” – have been found in obvious locations as well as the most unusual places – be it under the sea, off the coast, or at cliff edges. This has led many to believe that the grooves in Malta’s bedrock are of prehistoric origin. These cart tracks are also deemed to be unique, and they continue to be an enigma to this very day, as they have not been satisfactorily explained by those who have extensively studied them.

Brief Information on the Cart Ruts Found in Malta

Cart ruts are man-made dual channels or parallel tracks and grooves sunken in rock. The ruts themselves can vary greatly in their size – some can be very deep and narrow, others can be shallow and wide, and the rest could be anything in between. They are carved in both smooth and rough rocky surface. And like in the case of the cart ruts found on the surface of the islands of Malta, these parallel grooves can be etched into a limestone bedrock.

In Malta, the cart ruts appear to be in single pairs or in groups, and they are typically perfectly parallel. These ancient channels have an approximate depth of 8 to 15 centimeters, but in some places, they could be as deep as about 60 centimeters. The ruts have a standard gauge of around 1.4 meters, but this can also vary by several centimeters. Some of the tracks cross each other while others branch out to form junctions, which creates an illusion that resembles a large railway switching yard. These grooves run through the island’s valleys but they have also been found on the hills, while some have disappeared into the Mediterranean Sea.

While the cart ruts on Malta are impressive structures, they do not exclusively exist in this country. In fact, similar formations can also be found in Sicily, Sardinia, Italy, Greece, Southern France and Cyrenaica. However, not all of these dual channels in different parts of Europe are of the same origin, neither do they all fulfill the same purpose.

Examples of the Maltese Cart-Ruts

In Malta itself, there are potentially as many as 150 sites that have cart ruts, including the ones found in St. Paul’s Bay, Naxxar, San Gwann and Bidnija. However, the most well-known site in the archipelago is the Misrah Ghar il-Kbir, which is more popularly referred to as the “Clapham Junction.”

The Clapham Junction is located on the southern side of the Maltese island and features an enormous number of tracks, making it the largest concentration of cart ruts in the country. The site was given the nickname “Clapham Junction” because the network of overlapping cart tracks on the surface resembled the busy rail station of the same name in London. The sunken grooves at the site have varying gauges, depths and widths. They are also shaped differently, with some narrowing at the bottom, while others remain flat.

Possible Dates When the Cart Ruts in Malta Were Created

Some researchers have connected the mysterious tracks to the temple sites found in the islands of Malta and Gozo. More than 30 stone temple complexes as well as other ancient structures on the Maltese island were dated to have been built from 5500 to 2500 BC, making them some of the oldest free-standing monuments on the planet that we currently know about. It is even believed that the cart ruts might turn out to be the proof some experts have been looking for in answering the puzzle of how these ancient temples were built during what was supposed to be a primitive time.

It is also hypothesized that these manmade dual channels were created by settlers who arrived in Malta from Sicily sometime in the beginning of the country’s Bronze Age, or around 2000 B.C. However, Maltese archaeologist Anthony Bonanno has also presented an alternative theory about the date of the cart ruts on the island, suggesting that the tracks could be Phoenician constructions that were made more recently, possibly in the 7th century B.C.

How the Cart Ruts in Malta Were Created

How the Cart Ruts in Malta Were Created

As to how the ruts in Malta were made or created, some archaeologists assumed that they were inadvertently carved by using some form of vehicles that were possibly wheeled. These carts, sleds or skids could have carried heavy loads, and with people repeatedly using the same path or route for decades or even centuries, the island’s limestone ground was inevitably scarred over time as a consequence.

However, some have objected to the hypothesis that all of the ruts on Malta were caused by wheeled carts or sleds carrying heavy goods. They argued that some of the tracks appeared to be too perfectly formed as if they might have been carved by hand using special tools. One such individual is author and journalist Graham Hancock, and in his book, “Underworld: The Mysterious Origins of Civilization,” he said:

“It is certain, too, that they were not simply worn away in the tough limestone by the passage of cart-wheels over periods of centuries, as many have wrongly theorized; on the contrary, there is no proof whatsoever that cart-wheels ever ran in these ruts - which were initially carved out of the bedrock with the use of tools.”

The Purpose Behind the Cart Ruts in Malta

If the people residing on the island of Malta created and deliberately shaped these enigmatic ruts, then these channels obviously played a valuable purpose in the lives of these ancient people. However, what exactly that role is have been lost with the passage of time, and experts who have allotted much of their time and a significant portion of their lives to study these cart ruts have yet to universally agree on what their original purpose could be.  And because these experts have failed to come into an agreement on this matter, alternative theories have gained popularity in providing more out-of-this-world yet equally-fascinating answers to this mystery.

Theories on the Purpose of Malta’s Cart Ruts

Many different theories have been presented in attempt to provide the most plausible answers to the mysterious questions of when these car ruts on Malta were created, how they were created, and why they were created in the first place.

One of the wildest speculations of what the cart ruts’ intended purpose could be is that the they are the tracks of outer space landing craft. There also those who believe that the scars on Malta’s milestone bedrock might be coded messages to the gods. But a more popular yet also far-fetched theory is that archipelago of Malta is actually an existing part of the legendary lost city of Atlantis.

Of course, there are also other theories that have been presented over the years, which many people find to be a lot easier to consider and believe. One theory is that the cart ruts in Malta were constructed for the purpose of transporting agricultural produce, and that the tracks were designed in such a way that would have allowed cows pulling these carts to get back home on their own.

Australian archaeologist Claudia Sagona from Birmingham University has a different idea on what the ancient channels found in this country are for. Sagona argued that the cart ruts were actually irrigation ditches from the Stone Age. According to her, in ancient times, torrential rains had washed away the island’s topsoil, and so, the farmers of that time had no other choice but to invent new ways of tending to their crops. She suggested that the Maltese farmers carved this network of trenches into the island’s limestone bedrock to channel away and conserve rain water, and to protect the soil.

Another likely purpose of the cart ruts is that they transported stones from ancient quarries across the island. This theory was suggested by archaeologist Anthony Bonanno, and a few of those who conducted a detailed survey of the Clapham Junction agreed that many of the channels found on the Maltese island are associated with the nearby quarries of the time. Transportation of stones from these quarries via the cart ruts found in different parts of the island supposedly made the construction of the ancient temples in Malta possible. This network of tracks is also believed to have been utilized by people for the exportation of quarried stones to Africa.

Though some of these theories are undeniably appealing and quite popular, none of them are completely devoid of flaw in their line of reasoning. And so, until now, there is still no consensus on what the original purpose of the cart ruts on Malta could be, especially since experts supporting one theory have cleverly presented arguments casting doubt on the plausibility of another theory, and vice versa.

For now, there is no doubt that the enigmatic cart ruts found in Malta will continue to remain unsolved in the foreseeable future in terms of its true purpose, the exact means through which they were formed, or the accurate dates of when these tracks were created and how long they were regularly used by the ancient civilization that once lived there.

And while not many are willing to entertain the idea that the cart ruts on Malta are proof that a highly advanced ancient civilization once dominated the area, these ancient networks of parallel trenches and channels are, at the very least, a testament and reminder that perhaps our ancient ancestors are more advanced and enlightened than we give them credit for. Besides, even without insisting its archaeological merits, it remains undeniable that these ancient tracks are truly a fascinating as well as a puzzling sight to behold.

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Sources:

http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/malta-cart-tracks
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/oct/04/arts.artsnews
http://www.jstor.org/stable/3060511?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
http://www.ancient-wisdom.com/maltacartruts.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misra%C4%A7_G%C4%A7ar_il-Kbir
http://www.amusingplanet.com/2014/02/the-mysterious-cart-tracks-of-malta.html
http://www.messagetoeagle.com/unknown-highly-advanced-civilization-created-maltas-cart-ruts-with-sophisticated-machinery/
http://www.ancient-origins.net/unexplained-phenomena/prehistoric-lines-across-malta-cart-ruts-misrah-ghar-il-kbir-020312?nopaging=1
http://www.cartrutsmalta.com/what-are-cart-ruts/
http://philipcoppens.com/cartruts.html
http://www.amusingplanet.com/2014/02/the-mysterious-cart-tracks-of-malta.html

World’s Oldest Book of Wisdom Predicts The Future

Divination is the reading of signs or symbols with the intention of receiving guidance and wisdom about current situations and future events. From ancient and medieval worlds up to our modern era, many different methods of divination have been used and are still being used today, which include but are not limited to: the observation of animal behavior, the movement of the stars and the planets, the casting of lots, and utterances from supposed oracles. In the past, these methods were understood to be some of the ways of communicating with the spiritual world or unleashing unseen powers. But from a modern psychological standpoint, divination now represents one of humans’ subtle means of accessing the wisdom of the unconscious mind.

One ancient system of divination, which originated in China and has endured until now even though thousands of years have already passed, is steeped in myth and legend, and possesses undeniable spiritual, philosophical and historical value. This is known as the I Ching or the Book of Changes, and it is unquestionably one of the oldest and most important books in the world’s literature.

Brief Background:

The I Ching, or the Book of Changes, is an ancient Chinese divination text and is also the oldest of the Chinese classics. The text possesses a history of more than two and a half millennia of commentary and interpretation, making it an influential text throughout the world for the inspiration it serves in religion, art, literature, psychoanalysis and even business.

Originally, the I Ching was a divination manual in the Western Zhou period, around 1000 to 750 BC. Sometime between 500 and 200 BC, which was over the course of the Warring States period and the early imperial period, it was transformed into a cosmological text that came with a series of philosophical commentaries known as the “Ten Wings.” After it became a part of the Five Classics in the 2nd century BC, the I Ching established itself as not only the basis of divination practice for centuries across the Far East, but also the subject of scholarly commentary and an influential tool in the Western understanding of Eastern thought.

The interpretation of the readings found in the Book of Changes has sparked intense debate for centuries. Nevertheless, many have used the book symbolically to provide guidance for moral decision making, which is why it is not surprising that both of the two branches of Chinese philosophy, Confucianism and Taoism, share common roots through this ancient text. Many western figures – like psychologist Carl Gustav Jung, physicist Wolfgang Pauli, and writer Hermann Hesse - have recognized the Book of Changes as an intelligent, profound and sophisticated system of divination, which is most likely why it has been in continuous use up to now in different parts of the world.

Philosophy of the I Ching:

Change is the central idea behind the I Ching. Much like the way the night gradually and without division follows after day, and one season evolves into another, nothing in life and in the universe is fixed or ever unchanging. Everything is not split into the timeframes of the past, the present or the future. All things in the universe are interlinked and constantly moving and changing. We are all in a state of flux and transition. And the path to understanding and embracing change involves acknowledging and comprehending the relationship between the energetic polarities of Yin and Yang.

Yin and Yang, while seemingly opposing energies are in fact complementary. Yin corresponds to receptive, mutable and contracting form, while Yang corresponds to active, creative and expansive force. The balance between these two energies is ever changing and transforming, which is why it is signified by a wavy, center line (or Wu Wei Line) in the well-known Yin-Yang symbol – also known as Tai Chi or The Great Ultimate.  

In Taoist thinking, the concept of energetic balance between Yin and Yang and flow have a deep and meaningful relationship in people’s lives and that of the universe as a whole. And because everything in the universe is generated from the Yin-Yang polarity and the flow between the two opposing yet complementary energies, the philosophy of the I Ching welcomes change, movement, transformation, momentum and regeneration.

The I Ching is all about change – exploring and defining the changes you experience even if they may be beyond your current understanding, and revealing all the possibilities for future change, action as well as inaction.

Basic Structure of the I Ching as a Divination System:

In the Book of Changes, Yang and Yin are represented by unbroken and broken lines. In utilizing the I Ching as a tool for divination, these lines are used to create “hexagrams” – figures which are made up of six lines. Each inquiry to the oracle will require a hexagram reading and possibly additional line readings as well.

A hexagram is made up of two trigrams, and each trigram is made up of three lines. Each line is either broken or solid, corresponding to the negative force Yin and the positive force Yang. There are eight possible trigrams: Ch’ien for the Cosmos, Chen for Thunder, K’an for Water, Ken for Mountain, K’un for Earth, Sun for Wind or Wood, Li  for Fire, and Tui for Lake. These eight trigrams were conceived as symbols of all that happens in both heaven and on earth. At the same time, they were all held to be in a state of continual transition, with one trigram changing into another, just as transitions from one phenomenon to another are continuously occurring in the physical world.

There are sixty-four different hexagrams, and each hexagram has six changing lines, and its presence affect the hexagram’s meaning.  These changing lines in the primary hexagram also point to the creation of a second, transformed hexagram, which is also included in the readings and interpretation when responding to a person’s consult over a situation or answering a question.

All in all, there are 4,096 possible core readings. With the inclusion of symbols, nuclear trigrams, as well as other factors, the interpretation possibilities provided by the Book of Changes are pushed into the tens of millions.

Consulting the I Ching:

The I Ching is made up of 64 chapters, and each of them relate to a corresponding hexagram which presents a particular message. In consulting the I Ching, the first step to do is to formulate a question, followed by the creation of a hexagram. This is typically done through the process of throwing coins, but several other ways have also been utilized in consulting the ancient text. One traditional method uses grains of rice, while another uses yarrow sticks. But for our purpose of explaining the process of consulting the I Ching, we will be using the method of throwing coins as example.

Before casting the coins down, those who seek to consult the Book of Changes for divine guidance must first meditate on the question they want to ask, which are usually related to the issue or situation they are currently facing. With a question in mind, the three coins are shaken in a cupped hand before they are thrown down. And in throwing the coins, the intention is to create a hexagram. As previously mentioned, each hexagram is built up from a series of six lines, and these lines are either broken or unbroken, reflecting the energetic qualities of the situation at hand.

A straight line ‘_______’ represents Yang energy or young Yang, while a broken line      ‘____  ____’ represents Yin energy or young Yin. There is also another energetic quality which reflects the dynamism of the Yin or Yang energy of any situation; and so, they may be at the point of transformation, either from Yin to Yang or vice versa. These lines are called ‘moving’ or ‘changing’ lines and they can either be Yin moving or changing – also referred to as old Yin -  or Yang moving or changing – which is also known as old Yang. The unique combination of these four energetic qualities and the possibilities over the six lines of a hexagram represent the energy of the entire situation an individual is consulting the Book of Changes about.

In the coin method, each time three coins are thrown at the same time translates to an energetic line. And so, throwing the coins six times create the six lines that become the whole hexagram. The two distinguishable sides of the coins are assigned numerical values: “heads” is given the value of 3, while “tails” has the value of 2. By throwing three coins at the same time, their combined value will fall between 6 and 9. These values can then be translated to their energetic lines. 6 corresponds to the old Yin; 7 is the young Yang; 8 is the young Yin; and 9 is the old Yang.

The value and the type of energetic line of the first coin throw corresponds to the first or the bottom line of the hexagram, while the result of the second throw corresponds to the second line from the bottom line of the hexagram, and so on. Repeating the coin throw six times helps formulate the values of the lines of the hexagram from the bottom up. The bottom three lines are referred to as the lower trigram, while the top three lines are the upper trigram. Together, a pair of trigrams make up the whole hexagram.

Once the trigrams have been written down, the grid table of the Book of Changes is consulted to identify the name and number of the hexagram that was formulated based on the results of the coin throws. This is the primary hexagram. Each hexagram chapter in the I Ching is divided into two sections. The main opening text provides an overview of the message the hexagram pertains to, but there are also a series of six supplementary passages, each relating to one of the six lines of the hexagram. If moving or changing lines are present within the hexagram, additional line passages that these changing lines correspond to should also be read for further guidance and insight.  

Having moving or changing lines in a hexagram may mean that the question asked or the situation consulted about is in an extreme state of flux, which indicates that it is unbalanced or due for immediate change. And so, in addition to reading the supplementary line passages within the primary hexagram chapter, these moving or changing lines can also be allowed to change. This means that every old Yin becomes a young Yang; while every old Yang becomes a young Yin. And with this transition, a second extension or relating hexagram is created.

These two hexagrams – specifically the main text and relevant line passages of the primary hexagram, and the main body text of the extension hexagram – are read together to disclose the full meaning of the spiritual and moral guidance being offered by the Book of Changes for a specific consult or question.

The I Ching represents an entire ancient philosophy that should be treated with great respect and admiration. It symbolizes the cyclical interconnectedness of the Universe and it serves as a moral guide to a personal path of balance and harmony. The wisdom this book contains has the potential to stimulate your sensitivity, creativity and resourcefulness, even when you are experiencing the most challenging and demanding periods of your life, during which those vital personal qualities are not as easy to unleash from within.

Most importantly, the I Ching does not give you specific and straight-to-the point ‘answers’ you might expect to get. Instead, it empowers you and encourages you to look within for the answer that you seek. Its mysticism as a divination system is, paradoxically, founded on its emphasis on the phenomenal nature of human beings.

But apart from its spiritual value and usefulness as a tool for divination, the book also offers a wealth of beautiful poetry and Chinese philosophy that stretches back 5000 years into the origins of ancient Chinese customs and values. And perhaps this is the more widely-embraced reason why the I Ching should be considered a global treasure.  

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Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Ching
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Ching_divination
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Ching%27s_influence
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleromancy
http://www.ichingonline.net/about.php
http://www.iging.com/intro/introduc.htm
http://www.messagetoeagle.com/i-ching-the-book-of-changes-worlds-oldest-book-of-wisdom-used-to-predict-future-events/
http://www.wakingtimes.com/2012/09/04/the-i-ching-a-spiritual-guide/
http://www.psychicscience.org/ching3help.aspx