▁is ▁more ▁likely ▁that ▁the ▁tower ▁was ▁built ▁during ▁the ▁P unic ▁period ▁rather ▁than ▁the ▁Roman ▁period ▁as ▁attack ▁were ▁less ▁likely ▁during ▁the ▁latter . ▁Round ▁tower ▁designs ▁were ▁already ▁established ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁P unic ▁period . ▁Indeed , ▁histor ians ▁hold ▁that ▁the ▁M alt ese ▁arch ip el ago ▁in ▁the ▁third ▁century ▁was ▁at ▁the ▁aim ▁of ▁Car th age ▁and ▁the ▁Rom ans ▁by ▁inv ading ▁the ▁native ▁P unic ▁civil isation . ▁Despite ▁these ▁pla us ible ▁arguments ▁it ▁is ▁also ▁argued ▁that ▁the ▁tower ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁built ▁by ▁the ▁P unic ▁people ▁and ▁then ▁emb ell ished ▁by ▁the ▁Rom ans . ▁From ▁the ▁find ings ▁it ▁is ▁also ▁suggested ▁that ▁the ▁Rom ans ▁may ▁have ▁built ▁it ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁a ▁fol ly ▁to ▁over look ▁the ▁plant ation ▁of ▁the ▁o live ▁trees ▁which ▁origin ate ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁since ▁Roman ▁times . ▁Even ▁if ▁so ▁it ▁is ▁not ▁clearly ▁known ▁as ▁no ▁Roman ▁vill as ▁were ▁ever ▁recorded ▁to ▁exist ▁in ▁the ▁area , ▁but ▁Rom ans ▁did ▁rule ▁the ▁islands ▁for ▁a ▁long ▁period . ▁For ▁instance ▁Roman ▁vill as ▁and ▁Roman ▁buildings ▁were ▁exc av ated ▁near ▁other ▁Roman ▁to wers ▁in ▁the ▁south ▁of ▁Mal ta ▁such ▁as ▁in ▁Hal ▁Saf i ▁and ▁Ż urr ie q , ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁chain ▁of ▁to wers ▁working ▁together ▁this ▁may ▁be ▁also ▁a ▁pla us ible ▁argument . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 0