Malta’s Megalithic Mysteries

People first settled on the Maltese islands around 7,000 years ago, most likely from Sicily. However, nothing is known regarding the travels of prehistoric peoples around the Mediterranean. Then, approximately 3,400 BC, construction of megalithic structures unlike any other in the world, dating back to before the Great Pyramid and Stonehenge, began. The temples were constructed over a thousand years, with distinct stylistic stages within the era, and thirty locations still remain today.

Malta also has the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum, which is one of the best preserved in the world. A hypogeum is a rock-carved underground chamber system. Several temples are thought to have had such structures beneath them, although they have yet to be unearthed. The Hal Saflieni Hypogeum is divided into three levels of subterranean rooms, pits, and galleries. The grade of rock-cutting varies from rough-hewn regions to highly finished exteriors.

The hypogeum also possesses unusual acoustic qualities, as sound echoes last an unusually long time and ricochet throughout the entire structure. Several acoustic investigations have been undertaken over the years, with a particular focus on the "oracle room," which contains an oval wall niche that produces an especially powerful echoing sound. It's worth observing that as one walks deeper into the oracle room, the painted "disks" grow larger, reaching their apogee at the wall niche where the ceiling painting abruptly terminates. This most likely proves that chanting was part of the site's archaic festivities, yet it remains another prehistoric wonder from Malta.

Constructed: 3600 TCN
Location: Malta