But this island nation’s neolithic past --- dating back some 5000 years, once harbored a surprisingly sophisticated culture that likely migrated here from what is now present-day Sicily. And perhaps even more significantly, whether these ancient people had a rudimentary cosmology that included what we now term spacetime. The heritage site at Tarzien on the main island of Malta really demonstrates how difficult it is to reconstruct these ancient people’s past. As for the biggest misconception about the people of Neolithic Malta? The crossing from Sicily to Malta is a bit shorter and more feasible than a direct crossing from Pantelleria to Malta, says Grima.