Neolithic age2

This was a temple complex.The temple was "formally planned, had concave monumental façades, trilithion entrance passages, and pairs of lateral and terminal chambers built of tooled orthostatic and megalithic blocks. The inner chambers could be closed off by doors. Successive courses were corbelled, allowing the roof-openings to be narrowed, before being closed with beams and thatch, the earliest known use of this method of construction; it has been suggested that contemporary terra cotta models and engravings of façades were prepared in advance of building to show what was required. Some of the stones were decorated with spiral relief carvings, and the temples were probably plastered internally and then painted"...-Dr.Fletcher.
These are certainly the most beautifully decorated and the largest temples. These beautiful temples lie in the village of Tarxien not far from the Hypogeum. These temples may be considered as the cathedral of megalithic culture in Europe. Here one sees an almost geometrical pattern. With their beautiful spiral motifs and dot motifs, the Tarxien temples are undoubtedly the most beautifully decorated temples. This monument consists of four buildings. The megalithic remains of Tarxien were discovered in 1914 under one meter of earth, by chance by stone masons. The stone-masons could not dig further and the Museums Department was called in. Excavations started in 1915 by Sir Temi Zammit a Maltese archaeologist. At the entrance on the left is a plan showing the order of the layers as they were excavated. The layers were found in this order. At the bottom were found only paving stones. On top was fine grey soil - dating back to Neolithic man. On top of this was found black ashy soil belong to the Bronze Age Necropolis. Then were found stone chippings and on top field soil dating back from Punic times till the present day. Another interesting plan to be seen before one actually goes into the temple is a plan showing the temples in the order they were built. The middle temple is the only temple in the megalithic culture in Malta with three pairs of apsides. Interesting about the Tarxien temples is the fact that they were used as a temple or place of worship by the Copper Age Man and 1000 years later approximately 2500 BC as a burial place by the Bronze Age Man.

The first temple one enters is the third temple that was built, dating back to 3300 years before Christ. This temple has a typical trilithon entrance with two vertical stones and a horizontal one on top and a slightly concave facade.

As one walks further in, one comes across an enormous half statue of the fat lady which is the symbol of fertility. It is probably to the Goddess of Fertility that these temples were erected. These people saw in mother nature, the mother who gave them their children and their food. According to the findings, these temples were never used for the sacrificing of humans but only for the sacrificing of animals, mainly goat, sheep and ram. On one stone relief is carved a picture of these animals, which according to historians, might have served as animals of sacrifice. One can notice here also several altars and decorated stones with dots and spiral motifs. In all the temples spiral motifs be seen. According to archaeologists, these people believed in a life after death and hence the spiral motif which means a continuation of life. Somewhat to the right of the next entrance to the next room is an altar with a dainty spiral motif. During excavations, were found in the niche above the altar, pottery, bones and horns of animals. A flint knife was found in a part of the altar below. These people decorated the stone with instruments made of flint, obsidian (a hard volcanic stone brought by copper-age man from Sicily as Malta was never volcanic), and hard bones of animals. Most of the decorated stones in Tarxien as well as the statue of the fat lady are not originals, but copies. The originals are kept in the National Museum in Republic Street, Valletta. On some of the vertical stones one can see loop-holes. These could have been used for the tethering of the animals before the animals were taken up to the altar of sacrifice. The Chapel served as the Holy of Holies. It was only the High Priest or Priestess, who could enter the temple. The people waited on the outside of the temple and they could ask for advise or may be interpretation of their dreams through the oracle. As one goes further in the temple, one can see a relief in stone which looks like two eyes. On the left room is an enormous stone vessel which is still in original form. It could have been used for the saving of water or for very special rituals. To the right is the entrance to a small room. In this small room are stone relief of animals. One shows a sow with 13 piglets and another stone relief showing a bull whose upper half is badly damaged. The meaning archaeologists give is that the bull represents strength, whilst the cow represents fertility and hence the 13 pigs.

Further in one will notice that the stones are rather brownish in color. The reason being that this is the part that was used as a crematorium by the Copper-age man. In the middle is a hearth which could also have been used for herbs to take off the bad smell from the burning animals. An interesting feature of our temples is that the entrances were always uncovered. The reason being so that the smoke of the animals could escape and the daylight could enter as well. On the other hand, it is thought that the apsides were always covered on top. The building of the apsides in the temples is always in a corbelled shape. The horizontal slabs move gradually further and further inwards to form a dome. Then the top must have been covered with either leather or some thatch. Also on the vertical stones of the entrance to the various rooms are holes which could have been used for a leather door which could then be secured by some vertical object. In order to reach the last room one must go through an entrance. Even here can one can see a repetition of the main entrance, i.e. a trilithon

Items out of burnt loam, flint and stone as well as personal jewelry were found in large quantities in Tarxien. In the upper layer were items from Copper and Bronze Age such as daggers and beautifully decorated urns with dainty dot and zigzag motifs with ashes. The pottery found in Tarxien is also the most beautiful. All these things contribute to the unique beauty and magnificence of these temples and therefore one can say that the Tarxien Temples are the most beautiful prehistoric remains in Europe.