10/6/24: One of the World's Best Prehistoric Sites

Two kilometers southwest of Cospicua, the last of the Three Cities Steven and I visited, and just three miles from what is now the capital city of Valletta, were two of Malta's most important prehistoric sites. The first was Hal Saflieni Hypogeum, one of the world’s best-preserved prehistoric sites and one of Europe’s only known neolithic necropolises. The Hypogeum, Greek for 'underground cemetery,' was discovered by accident in 1902 when workers cutting cisterns for a new housing development broke through its roof. I also read that it was discovered by a stone mason laying the foundations to build several houses so take your pick as to which is true! Archaeological evidence suggests that around 4,000 BC, the people of the Maltese islands of Malta and Gozo began building the network of alcoves and corridors carved into soft Globigerina limestone to ritualize life and death.

After the Hypogeum’s first major preservation efforts in 2000, Heritage Malta limited site tours to 80 people a day, a number that still stands. Months before our visit, I was only able to reserve one ticket to tour the Hypogeum, so Steven suggested I visit as he had less interest than I in touring the remarkable 500-square-meter UNESCO wonder. As environmental factors such as carbon dioxide levels, temperature, and humidity are all affected by the number of people in the chambers at any one time, each tour was limited to ten people to lessen the impact on site preservation. The chambers' conditions were strictly controlled, so they would survive many more centuries. Photography was strictly forbidden.

Sadly, industrialization during the late 1800s destroyed whatever remained of the above-ground megalithic enclosure and the Hypogeum’s entrance. Now, visitors enter through a modern lobby, descend a railed walkway, and into a mysterious and silent world. Archaeologists estimate over 7,000 bodies may have been interred at the site. 

Excavation produced a wealth of archaeological material, including numerous human bones, which suggests that the burial ritual had more than one stage. It appears that bodies were probably left exposed until the flesh had decomposed and fallen off. The remaining bones and what appear to be some of the personal belongings were then gathered and buried within the chambers together with copious amounts of red ochre. The use of ochre was likely part of the ritual, perhaps to infuse the bones with the color of blood and life. Individuals were piled onto each other. 

Photo of the Main Chamber courtesy of Smithsonian Magazine: Our guide said the gigantic stone slabs were cut out of stone tools 5,000 years ago. He mentioned it took centuries to excavate deeper and construct a three-level structure. They were clearly built to survive the ravages of time, he said. 

Photo of other chambers courtesy of Smithsonian Magazine: According to our guide, the deeper chambers were lit by torches.

Photo of limestone doorways in the Hypogeum courtesy of Wikipedia: 

Photo of the Holy of Holies Chamber courtesy of Smithsonian Magazine: The chamber may have been the central structure of the Hypogeum. It appeared to be oriented toward the winter solstice, which would have illuminated its facade from the original surface opening. The guide indicated that stars could be pinpointed with great precision from this chamber. Each of the pillars was dotted with hundreds of indentations, like at Malta's above-ground temples. 

In the Oracle Chamber, the guide pointed out a niche carved into the wall, which allowed low-pitched voices to reverberate around the chamber. How I wish we could have heard a deep, booming sound in the amazing chamber! The room also had the Hypogeum's best-preserved ceiling, which was painted with swirls made by a red ochre mineral pigment native to Sicily. It was just remarkable how vivid the red ochre paintings were all these millennia later! Photo courtesy of Smithsonian Magazine.

Archaeologists found beads, amulets, intricate pottery, and carved figurines alongside the bones in most chambers. The most impressive clay figurine depicting human figures was the popularly known Sleeping Lady, which showed a woman lying on a bed or ‘couch’ found in the Oracle Chamber. The guide wondered if the figurines represented ancestors, religious figures, men or women.

I took this photo of the Sleeping Lady a couple of days previously at the National Museum of Archaeology. 

Like Malta's other megalithic structures, the civilization that built the Hypogeum suddenly disappeared during the Bronze Age. Over the next 1,500 years, known as the Temple Period, above-ground megalith structures cropped up throughout the archipelago, many with features that mirrored their subterranean counterparts.

Though the breathtaking structure was built so strongly that it withstood Malta's earthquakes, carbon dioxide exhaled by visiting tourists caused serious damage to the delicate limestone chambers. After the Hypogeum was closed for ten years until mid-2000, the microclimate was strictly controlled, and environmental conditions were constantly monitored.

Hidden up a back street several blocks from the Hypogeum was Cospicua's other prehistoric wonder, Tarxien Temple. The temple site was thought to be in use at the very beginning of the Temple Period, around 4100 BC. These megalithic structures, dating to between 3600 and 2500 BC, continued to be embellished and extended until around 3000 BC. 

Though a tent-like cover was placed over most of the ruins, I was surprised, if not aghast, that the prehistoric ruins were otherwise at the mercy of the elements. Unlike the multitude of safety precautions taken at the Hypogeum, there were few I noticed in place at Tarxien. I was shocked, for example, there were no guards to shoo visitors from touching any of the ancient stones and the civilization they represented. People could wander at will throughout the site, although walkways connected the four structures.

In the Late Neolithic period, four megalithic structures were constructed at Tarxien over a span of 1000 years, starting with the modest Eastern Structure and ending with the large six-roomed Central Structure. During the Bronze Age, the structure was used as a cremation cemetery, while by the end of the Roman period, 2000 years later, the area was turned into agricultural fields equipped with water channels and cisterns. 

Nothing was "unearthed" at Tarxien until 1913, when a local farmer mentioned he had struck two large boulders while plowing. Excavations of the prehistoric complex began two years later and were completed in 1919. When a large megalith was discovered in a neighboring cemetery in 1936, that indicated the complex was probably much bigger.

The South Structure had four semicircular chambers, two on either side of a passage and an elevated recess at the end of the passage. 

A radical change occurred during the Early Bronze Age, 2400-1500 BC. The inhabitants no longer buried their dead in underground tombs, as at Hal Saflieni Hypogeum. The dead were cremated and placed in urns, which signified to archaeologists that a community of newcomers settled on the Maltese islands during this period. 

Just a few feet away from the Eastern Structure was the Central Structure, the latest to be constructed. It had chambers separated from a passageway by two screens carved with four spirals and a stone hearth in the center. We could still see a pinkish hue, which indicated burning millennia ago!

Although the East Structure was built in the same period as the South, it was smaller and simpler. The floors of the four chambers were made from torba, a limestone-based concrete, and the megalithic walls demonstrated a high level of skill. 

The photo from Tarxien showed an aerial view of the East Structure. 

On the far side of the complex was the oldest Neolithic building, constructed between 3800 and 3000 BC. As it was at the highest point, it suffered greatly when it was a field being plowed for farming. However, the central passage, main doorway, and threshold could still be viewed.

Though each structure was devoid of furniture, the chambers during the Neolithic period would have contained pedestals, pottery, figurines, and possibly even colorful textiles. None of these survived. However, two complete jars and fragments of four more were found in 1916.

Some areas in the complex were paved with massive stone slabs, and walls were built with gigantic stone blocks measuring up to 3m by 1m by 1m!

If you peer closely, you can spot a relief of two bulls and a sow with piglets on the wall! The depiction of animals on stone and pottery and the many animal bones discovered here indicate that they played an important role in the activities carried out in the Tarxien complex. 

A copy of the stone block with two carved spirals had blocked the entrance into the rest of the chambers. Steven and I saw the original block at the Museum two days ago.

Scientists believe the interconnected holes in the doorways might have been used to hold a door or curtain. 

Tarxien Cemetery, the first phase of the Bronze Age, was named after a cremation cemetery covering parts of the South Structure. Ashy deposits contained remains of human burials, as well as pottery, copper tools, and personal ornaments were found. Burnt animal bones may have been the remnants of ritual meals or feasting. 

The complex also contained the largest collection of stone sculptures discovered in any of Malta's Neolithic sites. The most remarkable was the colossal statue of a skirted human figure, known as one of the Fat Ladies, we'd seen in the museum. Below on the right was a replica. My photo of the original is below that.

The bas-relief replica in the center two pictures above depicted goats, a ram, and a pig. The original was at the museum.

Two upright megaliths here were found with faint traces of carved lines depicting boats or rafts. If these graffiti do, in fact, illustrate boats during the Neolithic or Bronze Age, they would be the earliest representations of seafaring vessels in the Mediterranean. The original megaliths were moved to the ticketing office to preserve the graffiti. 

Even when I saw a guide point out the replica ship graffiti on the pillars and illuminate the faint lines with his flashlight, I had great difficulty 'seeing' the graffiti. 

The drawing did help, though. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the originals in the ticket office when we left, but I don't think it would have made much of a difference!

In hindsight, we, or at least I, would have benefitted from hiring a guide to tell us about each structure and what it represented. I found myself peering at lots of stones with no understanding and, therefore, little appreciation of what they were and whether they were important. Signboards helped somewhat, but not enough on a site like this. I would also love to have known what might have been the link between the Tarxien Temple and Hal Saflieni Hypogeum since they were so close geographically and overlapped in time.

A few miles southwest of the Three Cities and Valletta on the south coast was the sprawling, hilltop town of Zurrieq. We were curious about seeing its ancient churches, although we didn't realize initially they were part of the Camino Maltés, a newly recognized pilgrimage route that starts in Malta and follows the historical path of pilgrims to the far more famous Santiago de Compostela in Spain. The Maltese portion showcases the Marian devotions that have been a part of Malta's religious landscape for centuries.

I admit I got scared at the prospect of driving down this extremely narrow lane 500 meters to the churches located in the deserted medieval village of Hal Millieri, but we ended up going anyway!

The first church we came to was the Church of St. John the Evangelist, which dates to the 15th century. It was restored in 1822 and enlarged at the beginning of the 20th century. Unfortunately, it was closed.

A short distance away was the Church of the Annunciation, which was originally erected in the 13th century, although the present building dates to 1480. Unfortunately, the church, which was only open for three hours on the first Sunday of the month, had closed just thirty minutes before we arrived! Its 15th-century frescoes show several saints that were popular during the medieval era. They were the only surviving examples of medieval religion in Malta. After the villagers left to live elsewhere, the church was abandoned and only restored in the 1970s. 

No wonder I wanted to walk to the churches! We had to back up to allow the car to pass. 

In Zurrieq itself was the Parish Church of St. Catherine, built in the 1630s. It features an altarpiece of the saint painted by Mattia Preti, the Italian Baroque artist who sought refuge in the town during a plague epidemic in 1675. 

Sadly, we were 0 for 3 in terms of the churches being open that Sunday. However, we did admire the unusual clock out front, the impressive World War II Memorial to the town's fallen sons on the side of the church, and the town square.

Next post: A short boat ride to the Blue Grotto in the seaside hamlet of Wied iz-Zurrieq later that day.

Posted on March 9th, 2025, from a sunny and almost hot Denver. Please take care of yourself and your loved ones.