Tarxien Temples
 Entrance to the Ħal Tarxien Prehistoric Complex | |
  location in Malta | |
| Location | Tarxien, Malta |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 35°52′9″N 14°30′43″E / 35.86917°N 14.51194°E |
| Type | Temple |
| History | |
| Material | Limestone |
| Founded | c.3250 BC–c.2800 BC |
| Periods | Tarxien phase |
| Site notes | |
| Excavation dates | 1915, 1963 |
| Archaeologists | Themistocles Zammit |
| Condition | Well-preserved ruins |
| Ownership | Government of Malta |
| Management | Heritage Malta |
| Public access | Yes |
| Website | Heritage Malta |
| Part of | Megalithic Temples of Malta |
| Criteria | Cultural: (iv) |
| Reference | 132ter-006 |
| Inscription | 1980 (4th Session) |
| Extensions | 1992, 2015 |
| Area | 0.807 ha (86,900 sq ft) |
| Buffer zone | 11 ha (0.042 sq mi) |
The Ħal Tarxien Prehistoric Complex (Maltese: Il-kumpless Preistoriku ta' Ħal Tarxien, Maltese pronunciation: [tɐrˈʃɪːn]) is an archaeological complex in Tarxien, within the Port region of Malta. They date to approximately 3400 BC.[1] The site was accepted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992 along with the other Megalithic temples on the island of Malta.[2]
Description
[edit]The Tarxien Complex consist of four different structures. At the same time, many of the decorated slabs discovered on site were relocated indoors for protection at the Museum of Archaeology in Valletta. The first structure is home to some of the most elaborate and impressive decorations of the Maltese Neolithic. It's main entrance is a reconstruction dating from 1956. The central structure, and is unique in that, unlike other contemporary sites, it has six chambers in total. The Eastern Structure suffered severe alteration during the Roman period resulting in its strange shape. The remains of another structure, smaller, and older than the others is visible further towards the east.[3]
Of particular interest at this site is the rich and intricate stonework, which includes depictions of domestic animals carved in relief, altars, and screens decorated with spiral designs and other patterns. Demonstrative of the skill of the builders is a chamber set into the thickness of the wall between the South and Central temples and containing a relief showing a bull and a sow.[4]
Function in prehistory
[edit]While in past decades more ritualistic and religious interpretations were favoured (such as references to the site and other contemporary to it as 'temples', today caution is exercised regarding the classification of the structure. Our uncertainty about several aspects of the Neolithic way of life in Malta means that we cannot completely sure that our interpretation is a correct one. However one thing is for certain, that these buildings would have had a communal significance and would have likely been locations for Neolithic communities to gather. During the Early Bronze Age, the site was re-used as a cremation cemetery as shown by the great amount of ashes and human remains that were discovered here during the site's excavation.
Discovery and history
[edit]
The site was initially reported by the tenant of the land, Lorenzo Despott, who complained of frequently encountering large blocks of stone just beneath the surface while plowing his field. [4] Suspecting that the stones he was encountering may have some archaeological value, Despott contacted the director of the National Museum, Themistocles Zammit, who instructed him to dig a trial trench in 1913. Upon excavation, several large stone were revealed and the pottery found was undoubtedly prehistoric. Thus, Temi Zammit began a formal excavation of the site in 1915, a campaign which would last till 1919. Over the course of four years, Zammit enlisted the help of local farmers and townspeople for an excavation project of unprecedented scale in Malta. By 1920, Zammit had identified and carried out restoration work on four prehistoric structures, all yielding a remarkable collection of artifacts, including the famous colossal statue, the largest human (although seemingly genderless) representation from the Neolithic found to date.
A small sample of artefacts from the site were donated by Zammit in 1923 to the British Museum.[5] The site was included in the Antiquities List of 1925.[6] Further excavations at the site were conducted during post-World War II period under the directorship of J.G. Baldacchino.
Protective tent-like shelters, similar to those at Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra, were built around the Tarxien Temples in 2015,[7][8][9] and were completed in December of that year.[10]
Significance
[edit]The discovery of the complex did much to further Malta's national identity, solidly confirming the existence of a thriving ancient culture on the island. Also, the general interest aroused by the finds engendered for the first time a public concern for the protection of Malta's historical treasures, including a need for management of the sites, the promulgation of laws, and other measures to protect and preserve monuments. At the same time, Themistocles' thorough method in excavating the site paved the way for a new scientific approach to archaeology.[11]
Gallery
[edit]-
The entrance to the two top apses of the Tarxien Temples. -
Altar in the southwestern Tarxien Temple. -
A relief showing goats and rams in one of the temples at Tarxien. -
View into the South Temple through the trilithon doorway reconstructed in the 1950s. -
A bowl in the central Tarxien Temple.
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See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Tarxien Temple" (PDF). National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands. 30 March 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ "Megalithic Temples of Malta - UNESCO World Heritage Centre". unesco. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
- ^ Cilia, Daniel (8 April 2004). "Tarxien". The Megalithic temples of Malta. Retrieved 7 July 2007.
- ^ a b "Tarxien Temples". The National Agency for Museums, Conservation Practice and Cultural Heritage. 2003. Archived from the original on 29 June 2007. Retrieved 7 July 2007.
- ^ British Museum collection
- ^ "Protection of Antiquities Regulations 21st November, 1932 Government Notice 402 of 1932, as Amended by Government Notices 127 of 1935 and 338 of 1939". Malta Environment and Planning Authority. Archived from the original on 19 April 2016.
- ^ Ameen, Juan (24 September 2010). "Tarxien megalithic temples to get Ħaġar Qim treatment". Times of Malta. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
- ^ "Milestone in work on new temples shelter". Times of Malta. 3 June 2015. Retrieved 3 June 2015.
- ^ "Temple tent". Times of Malta. 29 August 2015. Retrieved 29 August 2015.
- ^ "Protective tent over Tarxien Temples completed". Times of Malta. 21 December 2015. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015.
- ^ "Themistocles Zammit". allmalta.com. Archived from the original on 27 February 2013.
External links
[edit]
- Listing at UNESCO World Heritage Center
- Official Tourist information
- National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands
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