▁in ▁the ▁medieval ▁ages ▁by ▁Christians ▁of ▁which ▁orig ins ▁is ▁from ▁the ▁dev otion ▁to ▁St ▁Helen . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Pre - histor ic ▁origin ▁The ▁area ▁of ▁San ▁ Ġ w ann ▁has ▁been ▁inhab ited ▁since ▁pre - histor ic ▁times ▁and ▁evidence ▁of ▁this ▁are ▁the ▁cart ▁r uts ▁in ▁San ▁ Ġ w ann ▁situated ▁not ▁far ▁from ▁the ▁tower . ▁Ex c av ation ▁have ▁suggested ▁that ▁the ▁tower ▁may ▁have ▁pre - histor ic ▁orig ins ▁but ▁arch ae olog ists ▁believe ▁that ▁some ▁rocks ▁may ▁have ▁had ▁adapt ive ▁reuse . ▁Indeed , ▁the ▁round ▁shape ▁tower ▁suggest ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁built ▁sometimes ▁later ▁as ▁other ▁pre - histor ic ▁fort ification ▁in ▁Mal ta ▁show ▁different ▁construction ▁of ▁pre - histor ic ▁defense . ▁A ▁Ne ol ith ic / B ron ze ▁structure ▁has ▁also ▁been ▁found ▁close ▁by ▁at ▁W ied ▁G hom or ▁( G hom or ▁Valley ). ▁ ▁P unic ▁and ▁Roman ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 5 ▁ar che ologist ▁Thomas ▁Ash bey ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁tower ▁is ▁of ▁Pho en ician ▁orig ins . ▁The ▁tower ▁is ▁generally ▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁Roman ▁tower , ▁hence ▁the ▁references ▁as ▁San ▁G w ann ▁Roman ▁Tower ▁or ▁Ta ' ▁C ied a ▁Roman ▁Tower ▁or ▁Ta ' ▁C ied a ▁Round ▁Tower . ▁Ar che olog ists , ▁such ▁as ▁Professor ▁A . ▁Bon anno , ▁argue ▁that ▁speaking ▁on ▁the ▁context ▁of ▁the ▁time ▁it