The Megalithic
Era
In this respect few other countries provide
as much satisfaction as Malta, for the island
is steeped in history. Every square inch of its
land and its temples and monuments bear witness
to a civilisation which, in many ways, is unparalleled.
In spite of its small size Malta’s strategic
location, at the crossroads of the Mediterranean,
has meant that, over the centuries, the island
has played a very important role in the vicissitudes
of the region, right from the early days of civilisation
up to the present times.
All the various periods of Malta’s history
make fascinating reading, but there are two particular
periods -the Neolithic period and the period of
the Knights of St John - which stand out from
the rest because they are unique to Malta. On
their own the remains of these two periods constitute
a good enough reason to visit Malta.
The Neolithic Temples - glimpses of a mysterious
past
Until recently, the Egyptian pyramids were thought
to be the oldest architectural monuments in existence.
Recent archaeological research however, has shown
that the earliest Neolithic temples on Malta are
about l000 years older than the famous pyramids
of Giza. Huge rocks, several tons in weight were
used in the construction of these temples. Even
with modern techniques and tools this would not
be an easy task today. How these enormous loads
were moved, or even lifted, 5000 or 6000 years
ago, remains a mystery.
The earliest temples, such as the one at Ggantija
on Gozo, were built by the piling of huge rocks
on top of each other. They did not have any carving
or decoration. Later temples such as the one at
Hagar Qim, in Malta were made of huge stones fitting
very closely together and ornately decorated.
Carving was done with only very primitive flint
and obsidian tools. No archaeological remains
made of metal from this period have been discovered
on Malta. One theory is that this prehistoric
people did not use metal because they foresaw,
in its use, their own future destruction.
The subterranean burial place at Malta’s
Hal Saflieni, the so-called Hypogeum, is an even
more astonishing relic and its accidental discovery
in 1902 caused quite a sensation in world archaeological
circles. The temple must have been literally carved
into the rocks over hundreds of years with simple
tools made from flint and obsidian. Starting at
ground level the Hypogeum descends several storeys
below ground and covers an area of more than 500
square metres. The Hypogeum was certainly a place
of worship and burial - the bones of over 7000
people have been found - and could also have been
used as a place for the training of priestesses.
A number of relics support this hypothesis.
All trace of the mysterious people who built
the Hypogeum disappeared suddenly around 2000
BC – at the height of their culture. How
this peaceful people disappeared we will never
know. It remains pure speculation as to whether
conquerors with modern metal weapons wiped out
this unarmed, unfortified people, or whether a
sudden epidemic destroyed all human life on Malta
for centuries. Equally strange and mysterious
are the cart ruts found on many of the rocky ridges
in Malta. The most popular theory is that these
were made by primitive slide-carts used before
the invention of the wheel. |
