Islands of ancient architecture: A journey through megalithic Malta

You don’t have to roam very far in any direction to bump into evidence of prehistoric communities living in Malta and Gozo. There’s ruins of over twenty megalithic temples (seven of which are in impeccable condition and UNESCO listed) plus the mysterious cart ruts; straight lines cut into the ground that run across the island. But what’s known about the temples and people who built them?

How far does human life on Malta date back to?

Archaeologists previously supposed that humans lived in Malta since approximately 5,000 BCE but more recently, a team of archaeologists from Queen’s University Belfast carried out further excavations of the temples and made exciting new discoveries. After meticulous analysis of soils from the ancient sites, in 2018 the researchers presented their findings: the first inhabitants of Malta came to the islands in 5900 BCE. These academics also carried out a ground-breaking DNA study that proved that these first inhabitants came from Europe and Africa. Additionally they gleaned that a second wave of people arrived in 3,850 BC from Sicily, living on the islands uninterrupted for 1,500 years.

Why are Malta’s ancient temples so significant?

Until the 1994 excavation of Göbekli Tepe in Turkey, Malta’s megalithic temples were thought to be the oldest in the world. Today it’s more accurate to call them some of the earliest free-standing stone buildings still in existence. The seven UNESCO listed temples are in incredible condition and are all unique masterpieces of prehistoric architecture, showing off diverse decoration and form from temple to temple, proving that a complex culture of people lived on these islands for millennia. Each temple is different in floor plan, artistry and construction techniques; such as the surviving masonry indicating roofs capped by horizontal beams – a very sophisticated method for its time.

What ancient landmarks should I visit?

Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra sit just 500 metres apart on a cliff with a panoramic view of the Mediterranean Sea. The colossal limestone stone slabs form their doorways, niches, and apses are in unbelievably good condition – particularly when you consider that these temples are older than Stonehenge and the Pyramids. Archeologists have no doubt that Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra were built to give praise to the sun and changing seasons; beams of light flood the first chamber on the Summer and Winter equinoxes through an elliptical hole drilled through a limestone wall. Additionally, the south building’s doorway is aligned with sunrise during the Spring and Autumn equinoxes. Domed shelters were built over the temples in 2008 to preserve these monuments and slow down the potential dilapidation caused by the elements.

The two temples that make up the Ġgantija complex are notable for their truly huge Bronze Age structures. Ġgantija is gigantic by name (Ġgant meaning “giant” in Maltese) and gigantic by nature: some of its stones weigh up to 55 tonnes and stand over 16 feet tall. Locals in Gozo told stories of giants living here, hence the name, but in reality, archeologists have suggested that the site was used for ritual animal sacrifice, ceremonial rituals and feasting, due to the amount of animal bones found during excavation; the use of fire is proven by the stone hearths and the carved holes in the floor may have been used for pouring liquid offerings. Some limestone and clay figurines were found here – view them in the Interpretation Centre.

The Ħal Tarxien Prehistoric Complex was accidentally unearthed in 1913 by a local farmer and the excavations that followed revealed four megalithic structures built in the late Neolithic era that were adapted and repurposed in the Bronze Age. The ruins aren’t in great shape – only part of the walls survive in the easternmost structure, the oldest part of the complex, but it’s possible to spot five chambers there. It’s the south temple that’s the most impressive though and makes the complex worth visiting, as it’s home to sophisticated artistry; the lower part of a colossal statue of a figure wearing a pleated skirt stands amidst rich prehistoric patterns of spirals and animals carved into reliefs, which have become emblems of Maltese culture.

The entrance to the Hypogeum, through a front door on an average suburban street, gives no hint of the marvel that lies beneath. This subterranean Neolithic temple is truly unique and considered by many as the island’s most marvellous, but it’s not for the claustrophobic. Huge limestone slab steps lead you down through a narrow passage to a necropolis that archeologists suggest housed the remains of around 7,000 people, while also serving as a place of ceremonial worship. The Hypogeum, like most of its Megalithic counterparts in Malta and Gozo, celebrated the turn of the seasons, with the inner chamber known as the “The Holy of Holies” flooding with light from above on the winter solstice, further suggesting that the ancient inhabitants of the island worshipped the sun and natural forces.

How else can I explore ancient Malta?

Gozo’s hilltop Citadella has been inhabited since the bronze age but little remains of its ancient life – unless you delve into the Gozo Museum of Archaeology. Presented inside a lavish 17th century townhouse, Casa Bondì, this collection of archaeological and ethnographic artefacts includes finds from the nearby Ġgantija complex as well as Phoenician, Punic, and Roman pieces, which were discovered at sites in Gozo and Comino. The Prehistoric display focuses on many themes, including natural resources, subsistence, daily life, religious beliefs and burial customs. The museum also displays treasures from medieval times, up until the era of the Knights of St John.

After a visit to indeed any of Malta’s majestic megalithic temples, making a stop at this museum in the capital city completes the puzzle, with hundreds of mind boggling treasures on display that were excavated from the sites. The lower floor displays finds from the Neolithic era, categorised into tools, vessels, and artisanal items, like the figurines of humans and animals. The highlights of the collection are undoubtedly ‘The Venus of Malta’ (3000-2500 BCE), a clay figurine bust of a headless woman, unearthed at Ħaġar Qim; ‘The Sleeping Lady’ found at the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum, a beautifully detailed figurine laying on her side, supposed to represent death; and the leg of a huge goddess statue from the Tarxien temples.