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Ħaġar Qim

Ħaġar Qim

Malta · Qrendi

Temple / ritual siteIntermittent excavationUNESCO · 1992
Approximate period3,600 BCE — 2,500 BCENeolithic, Ġgantija phase See on the map ↓

In brief

Dating to approximately 3400 BC, Ħaġar Qim is one of Malta's megalithic temple sites. Excavations that began in the nineteenth century uncovered stone figurines alongside temple architecture.

What was found?

  • 1Stone human statuettes

    Standing and seated human representations were found at the site. These objects show the diversity of human depictions during the temple period.

  • 2Decorated stone altar

    A decorated stone altar was uncovered in the first central courtyard. The find documents the presence of carefully worked interior fittings alongside the architectural arrangement.

  • 3Doorways carved from single blocks

    Some passages were cut through a single large stone block. They show that large stones were not only transported but also worked with precision.

  • 4Stone-paved passage and side rooms

    The main passage was paved with stone slabs, while compacted earth floors were used in the side rooms. The preserved arrangement shows that interiors were prepared in different ways.

What does it point to?

The doorways, pavements, and large stone blocks of Ħaġar Qim indicate advanced stoneworking. The statuettes and altars show that monumental architecture was used together with human representations and specialized fittings.

What did it teach us?

  1. It showed that Neolithic communities built monumental stone structures with complex plans.
  2. It documented stoneworking skilled enough to cut passages through large stone blocks.
  3. Radiocarbon dating placed the roots of this architecture in the 4th millennium BC.

Record

Culture
Maltese megalithic temple culture
First modern dig
1839
Coordinates
35.8278°, 14.4422°

Sources

  1. whc.unesco.org
  2. en.wikipedia.org
  3. um.edu.mt
  4. Heritage Malta
  5. Ħaġar Qim Arkeoloji Parkı ve Malta Ulusal Arkeoloji Müzesi – Google Arts & Culture
  6. Figurines of Malta – Akademik kitap bölümü

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