Malta Anthropology and Archeology; A visit with Maltese people

Tuesday, March 6   

We began our study of Malta with a wonderful lecture in the morning titled “Temple Period Culture and Archeology.”  The speaker was wonderful, and in 90 minutes summarized the pre-history (pre-written language) period from 3600 to 2500 BCE—before the Bronze Age and about the same time as the Egyptian pyramids.  5600 years ago!  There were fascinating insights such as the complete absence of evidence of violence in the cemeteries, and the implication that it was a very peaceful society.  Another fascinating fact—the diet was probably that of land animals and plants, as there is evidence of land animal bones and seeds, but there are no fish bones!  The speaker, an archeologist from the University of Malta, was so engaging that the time flew.

After the talk we went to the largest and most well-researched prehistoric site, Ħaġar Qim.  Most of the treasures discovered here have been removed and are at the archeological museum which we’ll visit tomorrow, but this figure of a woman was in the small orientation building at the site:

Now we’ve just been to Colombia in January and spent time at the Botero museum, where we saw his women:

I don’t know enough about Botero to understand if prehistoric Mediterranean sculptures were an influence, but the similarity of exaggerated proportions is remarkable.

There’s a temple model with red lines representing the sunrise beam of light at the two solstices and at the equinox.  It’s clear these were very sophisticated people with an understanding of the relationship of the sun to the seasons:

The site was well preserved for thousands of years by being buried, but after it was uncovered it began to decay due to sun and rain.  The government has built a giant tent over the site which shields it from the elements:

The entrance is a simple pair of large stones with a larger stone across the top, and multiple stones on the sides to keep it from rocking:

There are two rows of stones around the periphery, and there’s rubble in between.  Again, the design provides stability.  Here’s part of the outer ring to the left of the entrance:

Here’s part of the inner ring:

Our guide had a photo of sunrise at one of the solstices (I forget which).  Here’s a photo of that photo:

The builders, despite the sophistication of being able to move stones so large and build such a giant structure, did not have the arch.  The covering was designed as a false dome, or corbelled roof, a word and way of building new to me.  This is a sketch:

It is not known how these giant stones were quarried and moved, but one possibility can be seen at a nearby temple site, Ħal Tarxien, where these balls are scattered:

They may have been used to move the stones; there also may have been sufficient forests at the time to allow rolling the stones on logs.  It remains a mystery.

We returned to the hotel for our second lecture of the day, by a member of the history faculty at Malta University.  His lecture was in two parts, first, on the origins and nature of the Hospitaller Order of St. John, one of the important orders of knights in Malta (the others being the Knights Templar and the Knights Teutonics).  He gave us well-organized and voluminous information about the Order which still exists today.  The second part of his talk was on the military history of the Ottoman siege of 1565, a most important event in the history of Malta.  It was fascinating.

Finally after that lecture we traveled to a local sports club where we had dinner with a group of local Maltese.  I sat with a lovely couple and we spent two hours discussing the similarities and differences of our countries.  They were lovely, and we plan to keep in contact.  It was a big day.  Tomorrow we’ll go to the museum in Valletta and see all the treasures taken from the temples.