Malta's Temples & related Sites

Nilqgħukom
fil-Gżejjer Tagħna;
Nagħtukom Merħba

Tip:
CLICK F11 key
for screen
optimization

Please be
patient while
images load.

this is your
walk around
the Maltese Islands

You are now visiting ...
our
Prehistoric Temples
and related sites.

my-malta-dotcom ©

This is a "table-format" section covering Malta's main Prehistoric Sites. Additional information is provided via links leading to separate pages, which are still under construction.

Għar Dalam

Site Type: Cave

Location: Birzebbugia

Ice Age ... Pre-'Human Presence'

Age:	circa 125,000 BC
Period / Findings:	known as the 'Lower Hippopotamus Layer' / fossilized bones of Pygmy Elephants, Dwarf Hippopotami, dormice, bats and avian.

Age:	circa 18,000 BC
Period / Findings:	known as the Upper ‘Cervus’ (deer) Layer / remains of ‘stunted’ red deer, brown bear, wolf and red fox, as well as bats, voles, birds, turtles and amphibians.

Neolithic Period / Għar Dalam Phase

Age:	circa 5,200 BC
Period / Findings:	known as the 'Cultural', or 'Domestic Animal' Layer / human remains, including pottery (similar to that of the Stentinello culture in Sicily known as ‘Impressed Ware’) and cereal remnants; also found remains of smaller animals, namely domestic livestock.

	Il-Mixta
Site Type:	Cave
Location:	Gozo; NE coast
Age:	circa 5,200 BC
Period / Findings:	also from the 'Cultural' phase of the Għar Dalam period / pottery (similar to that of the Stentinello culture in Sicily known as ‘Impressed'-ware).

Neolithic / Grey & Red Skorba Phases

Skorba

Site Type: Temple / Neolithic Dwellings

Location: Żebbiegħ

Age: circa 4500 – 4100 BC

Characteristics: earliest evidence of the cult of the female divinity

Excavated by: David Trump

Period /
Findings: Grey Skorba period: 4500 – 4400 BC
undecorated, grey pottery, similar to that found at Għar Dalam
(which had been decorated/incised, contrary to this type)
Red Skorba period: 4400 – 4100 BC
reddish tint pottery in rectangular shapes, similar to the Diana culture of Sicily and Lipari.
Flint had to be brought in from Sicily as this was not available in Malta.
Female deity figurines indicate the beginnings of Religious Cult.

Malta Temple Period / Żebbuġ Phase
(equiv. to Copper Age in other areas of Europe)

Ta’ Trapna

Site Type: Temple

Location: Żebbuġ, Malta

Period /
Findings: 4100 – 3800 BC /
new type of yellowish, decorated pottery, from Sicilian influence.

Note: The first evidence of burial was found here.

Brochtorff Circle

Site Type: Burial Site

Location: Xagħra, Gozo

Excavated: 1988

Period /
Findings: 4100 – 3800 BC /
Disassembled human bones (of male and female adults and children), One complete male skeleton, pottery, worked limestone, flint tools as well as mollusc and shell ornaments and bone artifacts.

Note: The quantity of ‘red ochre’ found here suggests the association of the colour red (signifying blood) to the funeral/burial cult.
The highly stylized female deity found here suggests an evolved culture.
It is thought that this tomb was used over the period of various centuries, into the early Ġgantija phase.

Malta Temple Period / Mġarr Phase

Ta' Ħaġrat

Site Type: Temple

Location: Mġarr, Malta

Period /
Findings: 3800 – 3600 BC /
A more refined style of pottery; simpler and curved.

Malta Temple Period / Ġgantija Phase

Ġgantija

Site Type: Temple

Location: Xagħra, Gozo

Period /
Findings: 3600 – 3000 BC /
Pottery, animal sacrifice remains and stone balls used to transport megaliths.

Note: The temple's humped walls, suggest an attempt at covering its top with a stone or alternative kind of roof. This bears a similarity to a tiny model elevated from another site in Malta.

Malta Temple Period / Saflieni Phase

Ħal Salflieni
the Sleeping Lady,
symbolizing
Eternal Rest

Site Type: Hypogeum

Location: Paola, Malta

Characteristics: Rock-cut, three-tier temple/burial chambers, designed in close resemblance to the above-ground temples. Its decoration and stonework are very refined.

Period /
Findings: 3000 – 2900 BC /
Bones of some 7000 persons were discovered, along with personal ornaments, pottery and figurines, amongst which was the famous Sleeping Lady.

Note: The temple's humped walls, suggest an attempt at covering its top with a stone or alternative kind of roof. This bears a similarity to a tiny model elevated from another site in Malta.

Malta Temple Period / Tarxien Phase

Tarxien

Site Type: Temple

Location: Tarxien, Malta

Characteristics: A better developed plan (more symmetrical) and a highly improved style of building, for example the smoother stones and the spiral and animal reliefs.
There appear to be 3 temples, the second and most elegant emerging from the farthest apse of the first temple. The third temple appears more rudimental and is not connected to the other two.

Period /
Findings: 3000 – 2500 BC /
A Magnificent Female Deity some 2 metres in height was found here, along with pottery and an enormous stone vessel the shape of a bowl. Flint sacrificial knives and animal bones/horns were elevated from each altar during excavations.

Note: The temples were excavated after a local farmer is said to have drawn the attention of the Sir Temi Zammit when surface rocks were hindering the ploughing of his fields.
Neolithic dwellings were thoroughly destroyed, allegedly by farmers attempting to level down higher land while preparing an arable field. This would have necessitated the removal of obstacles, which constituted these dwellings.

Bronze Age / Tarxien Burial Phase

Tarxien Burial Sites

Site Type: Reutilisation of the temple site
as a Burial (Cremation) depository

Location: Tarxien, Malta

Characteristics: Here, we appear to be dealing with a completely different breed of people from those who built the temples; the latter seem to have dissapeared from these islands.
The new inhabitants brought metals (Bronze and Copper)in the form of tools and 'weapons' and introduced the cremation ritual.

Period /
Findings: 2500 – 1500 BC /
Remains of urns carrying ashes and partly-cremated human bones were discovered in the middle of the Temple site. It seems that by this time the temples had been abandoned, although probably still recognized as sacred grounds.
Personal ornaments, figurines and items of pottery were amongst the objects found here.

Note: This is a 'Phase' more than a 'site' since it involves the same location as the Tarxien Temple complex.

Bronze Age / Borġ in-Nadur Phase

Borġ in-Nadur

Site Type: Fortified Village

Location: Birzebbuġa

Period /
Findings: 1500 – 725 BC /
Evidence was found of metal working and of a new style of pottery.

Note: By now, Malta was less peaceful than in preceeding years and, hence, grew the need for defences.

It seems that trade with foreign colonies may have been one of the activities of these people.

Bronze Age / Baħrija sub-Phase

Baħrija

Site Type: Neolithic Settlement

Location: Birzebbuġa

Period /
Findings: 900 – 725 BC /
A style of pottery similar to that found in the Calabrian region (at the lowermost tip of the Italian mainland) was found.

	Skorba
Site Type:	Temple / Neolithic Dwellings
Location:	Żebbiegħ
Age:	circa 4500 – 4100 BC
Characteristics:	earliest evidence of the cult of the female divinity
Excavated by:	David Trump
Period / Findings:	*Grey Skorba period: 4500 – 4400 BC* undecorated, grey pottery, similar to that found at Għar Dalam (which had been decorated/incised, contrary to this type) *Red Skorba period: 4400 – 4100 BC* reddish tint pottery in rectangular shapes, similar to the Diana culture of Sicily and Lipari. Flint had to be brought in from Sicily as this was not available in Malta. Female deity figurines indicate the beginnings of Religious Cult.

	Ta’ Trapna
Site Type:	Temple
Location:	Żebbuġ, Malta
Period / Findings:	4100 – 3800 BC / new type of yellowish, decorated pottery, from Sicilian influence.
Note:	The first evidence of burial was found here.

	Brochtorff Circle
Site Type:	Burial Site
Location:	Xagħra, Gozo
Excavated:	1988
Period / Findings:	4100 – 3800 BC / Disassembled human bones (of male and female adults and children), One complete male skeleton, pottery, worked limestone, flint tools as well as mollusc and shell ornaments and bone artifacts.
Note:	The quantity of ‘red ochre’ found here suggests the association of the colour red (signifying blood) to the funeral/burial cult. The highly stylized female deity found here suggests an evolved culture. It is thought that this tomb was used over the period of various centuries, into the early Ġgantija phase.

	Ta' Ħaġrat
Site Type:	Temple
Location:	Mġarr, Malta
Period / Findings:	3800 – 3600 BC / A more refined style of pottery; simpler and curved.

	Ġgantija
Site Type:	Temple
Location:	Xagħra, Gozo
Period / Findings:	3600 – 3000 BC / Pottery, animal sacrifice remains and stone balls used to transport megaliths.
Note:	The temple's humped walls, suggest an attempt at covering its top with a stone or alternative kind of roof. This bears a similarity to a tiny model elevated from another site in Malta.

	Ħal Salflieni
Site Type:	Hypogeum
Location:	Paola, Malta
Characteristics:	Rock-cut, three-tier temple/burial chambers, designed in close resemblance to the above-ground temples. Its decoration and stonework are very refined.
Period / Findings:	3000 – 2900 BC / Bones of some 7000 persons were discovered, along with personal ornaments, pottery and figurines, amongst which was the famous Sleeping Lady.
Note:	The temple's humped walls, suggest an attempt at covering its top with a stone or alternative kind of roof. This bears a similarity to a tiny model elevated from another site in Malta.

	Tarxien
Site Type:	Temple
Location:	Tarxien, Malta
Characteristics:	A better developed plan (more symmetrical) and a highly improved style of building, for example the smoother stones and the spiral and animal reliefs. There appear to be 3 temples, the second and most elegant emerging from the farthest apse of the first temple. The third temple appears more rudimental and is not connected to the other two.
Period / Findings:	3000 – 2500 BC / A Magnificent Female Deity some 2 metres in height was found here, along with pottery and an enormous stone vessel the shape of a bowl. Flint sacrificial knives and animal bones/horns were elevated from each altar during excavations.
Note:	The temples were excavated after a local farmer is said to have drawn the attention of the Sir Temi Zammit when surface rocks were hindering the ploughing of his fields. Neolithic dwellings were thoroughly destroyed, allegedly by farmers attempting to level down higher land while preparing an arable field. This would have necessitated the removal of obstacles, which constituted these dwellings.

	Tarxien Burial Sites
Site Type:	Reutilisation of the temple site as a Burial (Cremation) depository
Location:	Tarxien, Malta
Characteristics:	Here, we appear to be dealing with a completely different breed of people from those who built the temples; the latter seem to have dissapeared from these islands. The new inhabitants brought metals (Bronze and Copper)in the form of tools and 'weapons' and introduced the cremation ritual.
Period / Findings:	2500 – 1500 BC / Remains of urns carrying ashes and partly-cremated human bones were discovered in the middle of the Temple site. It seems that by this time the temples had been abandoned, although probably still recognized as sacred grounds. Personal ornaments, figurines and items of pottery were amongst the objects found here.
Note:	This is a 'Phase' more than a 'site' since it involves the same location as the Tarxien Temple complex.

	Borġ in-Nadur
Site Type:	Fortified Village
Location:	Birzebbuġa
Period / Findings:	1500 – 725 BC / Evidence was found of metal working and of a new style of pottery.
Note:	By now, Malta was less peaceful than in preceeding years and, hence, grew the need for defences. It seems that trade with foreign colonies may have been one of the activities of these people.

	Baħrija
Site Type:	Neolithic Settlement
Location:	Birzebbuġa
Period / Findings:	900 – 725 BC / A style of pottery similar to that found in the Calabrian region (at the lowermost tip of the Italian mainland) was found.