Amongst my most treasured memories of early childhood during the 1930's were the yearly visits to the "Roman Temples" accompanied by my parents and siblings. These stone structures built of hard coralline and softer globigernina limestone reveal much about the western world's earliest methods of construction. For those moments however they served merely as a nice background for family picnics, and an opportunity for father to shine in his knowledge of the Roman occupation of Malta and a suspicious admiration for Vestal Virgins. Unawares of their true antiquity, and being somewhat less than an exemplary citizen, Dad allowed us to chip away at the temple slabs, however we wished.
The ruins may have first been discovered in medieval times, but their real significance emerged through archeological research in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The earliest reference on record to the sacred temples occurred in G.F. Abela's "Della Descritione di Malta" of 1647. Some excavations started about 1770, yet it was not until later in the 1820s & 1830s that major digs were permitted. At about this period, a noted Maltese scholar Dr. Themistocles Zammit, postulated that the temples were in fact much older than Rome itself, going further back in time to the Bronze age (c. 2000-1400 bc). His view challenged earlier contentions that everything of age in Malta was attributed to the Phoenician rule (c. 800-480 bc). In the 1950's a Professor J.D. Evans produced order from chaos by utilizing reliable carbon dating methods that pushed the time scale further back. It was ultimately Colin Rentfrew at Cambridge whose definitive work on the megalithic temples thrust all dates back into prehistory. The most recent findings attest to construction between 3600 to 2500 bc. Those at Mnajdra are considered the oldest surviving free-standing stone structures in the world.
Seven megalithic temples are to be found on the islands of Malta and Gozo, each a result of individual development and superhuman achievements. These include Bujjir at the Ggantija complex on Gozo (a sister island of Malta) build during the bronze age, and first to be excavated in 1827. On the island of Malta stand Hagar-Kim & Mnajdra , two unique architectural masterpieces unearthed in 1839 & 1840. The Hypogeum of Hal-Saflieni was discovered by accident in 1902 and is the only one constructed below ground level. The temple remains of Tarxien was found in 1914. The Ta'Hagrat & Skorba complexes bear witness to the temple people tradition in Malta, who mysteriously vanished from the island without a trace, headed for parts unknown.
Incredibly, these one of a kind, irreplaceable architectural wonders were until recent years relatively ignored by the Maltese authorities. The temples were thus left in a state of decay, unprotected from harm, by the combined destructive forces of man, beast and nature. That the structures were able to survive the test of time and vandalism is living testimony of their resilience, endurance, and a miracle of sorts . Without geophysical assessment and conservation by a caring International community, these megaliths which predate the Pyramids of Egypt, Stonehedge in England, or anything from ancient Greece and Rome will ultimately pulverize to dust and vanish. Exposure to rain and salt air, combined with vibrations from nearby quarries, have weakened foundations and walls. Given limited funding the Maltese government has made available only a small portion of the resources necessary for conservation and protection. As befits their importance, the megalithic temples of Malta are on the World Heritage List compiled by UNESCO. They now belong to all of humanity and not only to the Maltese, to whose care they have been entrusted thru historic coincidence. Most remarkably the huge sub-continent of India has twenty one world heritage sites to its credit, while minuscule Malta boasts eight, including its Renaissance capital city of Valletta. In no other country on planet earth are so many treasures of global significance to be found, sited within a radius of some six miles from one another.
Conventional wisdom says there is little more to be found than what is already known. Still odd scraps keeping surfacing which may give way to new detections. As surely as the Hypogeum & Tarxien temples were unearthed accidentally by a farmer's plow, it is not altogether unlikely that other major sites are awaiting discovery. In an island like no other, where there are more buried historic artifacts per square inch than elsewhere on earth, it is more probable than possible that other unknown archeological treasures await those in search of wonderment. The temple sites are ancient Malta's contribution to man's ingenuity and application of evolutionary construction skills in early architecture.
As an appreciative son of Malta domiciled abroad, I sense an obligation to make people worldwide aware of the significant impact Mediterranean countries, big and small, have contributed towards the evolution of western civilization. Malta lies at the center of this huge inland sea surrounded by Europe to its North, Africa to its South and Asia to its East. Situated astride heavily congested trade routes from all three continents, it has been reasonably concluded by conjecture that its unique geographical location attracted the seafaring temple builders to its shores. May others who have never set foot on Malta find it in their interest to visit and share in its many wonders. In spite of their great historic significance the temples are but a select few of many examples illustrating Malta's rich tapestry of repeated foreign occupations, stretching in time between the Ghar Dalam cave settlement (c 5000 bc) and the recent withdrawal of British colonial rule in 1974, when Malta finally became a republic. The temple people have come and gone, as have in their turn Julius Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte and Horatio Nelson. Meanwhile, the prehistoric structures remain standing proud and tall, heroic validations of rich civilizations born and perished. Each in its own way left behind indelible imprints of their contribution to the evolution of our species. The megaliths are a universal legacy, a part of Malta, waiting to be shared by those in pursuit of world history and curious citizens of all nationalities.
For those who have traveled far and wide, been near everywhere and seen most everything, I suggest they skip the usual repeat trip to Paris , London, and Rome in favor of an extended stay in Malta. They will find the temples awe inspiring and the natives warm and hospitable.
E-mail to Joseph Vella: joevella@prodigy.net
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Footnote: Current information on Malta is available on request thru:OTS Foundation (Non- Profit)
P.O. Box 17166
Sarasota, FL 34276
Web Site: www.otsf.org
E-Mail: Linda Eneix
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