Hypogeum of Ħal-Saflieni
| Hypogeum of Ħal-Saflieni | |
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UNESCO world heritage 
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| National territory: |
 Malta
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| Type: | Culture |
| Criteria : | (iii) |
| Surface: | 0.13 ha |
| Reference No .: | 130 |
| UNESCO region : | Europe and North America |
| History of enrollment | |
| Enrollment: | 1980 ( session 4 ) |
The hypogeum of Ħal-Saflieni is one in the Neolithic , between 3800 and 2500 BC. BC , underground facility used in Malta , which was probably used for the burial of the dead and as a sanctuary. The Hypogeum was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1980 and included in the National Inventory of Cultural Assets of the Maltese Islands .
discovery
As early as 1899, when a house was being built in the Maltese city of Paola, the subterranean temple complex ( hypogeum ) was struck by chance . The construction workers broke through the roof of the middle level while building a cistern. However, the find was not reported to the authorities until 1902, as the builders feared that construction work would be interrupted. They were proved right: the construction work was stopped immediately after the sensational discovery became known. In the meantime, four houses have been demolished in order to have full access to the underground temple. Skeletons of around 7,000 people have been found in the caves.
construction
The hypogeum of Ħal-Saflieni consists of many underground passages, halls and niches and extends over three levels. The top level used to be above ground, has been overlaid by rock over the millennia and is well below today's street level. The middle and lower levels were originally underground. The passages were driven up to 10.6 meters deep into the soft limestone with stone and bone tools and gradually widened over about 1300 years. The total area of the hypogeum is around 500 m² . The walls and ceilings are partially adorned with ocher-colored paintings, consisting of decorative, winding tendril patterns and discs. In the room known as the oracle chamber , there are spirals made of red ocher that look like a plant pattern. In addition, a black and white checkerboard pattern was found. Furthermore, in the neighboring rooms one encounters a combination of discs, hexagons and semi-spirals. One room called All Saints' Day is particularly impressive : a complete facade with a threshold and orthostats was carved into the rock. A cantilever vault completes the ceiling of the room. In the bottom there is a V-shaped recess with a stopper, which was probably used for libations. The space behind the facade of the Holy of Holies was started but not finished. This may be related to the mysterious halt to all construction activities from 2500 to 2000 BC. The following construction activities are no longer attributed to the Stone Age, but to the Bronze Age.
Finds
In addition to altars, skeletal remains were found in the niches. Probably the most famous find from the complex is a 12.2 cm long statuette , which depicts a reclining female figure and is called the "sleeping lady". Today it is exhibited in the Archaeological Museum in Valetta.
interpretation
The hypogeum is most likely a burial site where ritual acts were also carried out. The similarity of the triliths carved into the rock with the aboveground structures suggest this. The fact that the here, like most of the Neolithic sculptures found elsewhere in Malta, are presumably female, led to the assumption that it was a matriarchal society and that priestesses, fortune tellers, etc. were buried in the hypogeum. But this view was put into perspective again, because meanwhile the sculpture of a “holy family” (man, woman, child) has also been found. A reference to the nearby temple of Tarxien was also established. According to this, Tarxien could have been a kind of temple for the living and the hypogeum a temple for the dead with a burial place.
sightseeing
The temple complex can be visited to a limited extent - currently there are usually eight tours a day with a maximum of ten people each.
A second hypogeum of the archipelago is on Gozo . The underground areas under Brochtorff Circle are in the excavation phase and are still inaccessible.
See also
literature
- Jean McMann: Riddle of the Stone Age. Magic signs and symbols. Weltbild, Augsburg 1990, ISBN 3-89350-121-5 , p. 118 ff.
- David H. Trump : Prehistory and Temples ( Malta's Living Heritage Series ). Midsea Books, Malta 2002, ISBN 99909-93-93-9 .
- Themistocles Zammit : Prehistoric Malta - The Tarxien Temples and the Saflieni Hypogeum . 1994.
Web links
- Entry on the UNESCO World Heritage Center website ( English and French ).
- Plan of the hypogeum (English)
- Heritage Malta: Official information on the Hypogeum (English)
- Background knowledge and practical information
- Saflieni Hypogeum. (PDF; 1.7 MB) In: National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands. Sovrintendenza tal-Patrimonju Kulturale, March 30, 2012, accessed on October 19, 2019 .
Cultural heritage: Ħal-Saflieni hypogeum underground cult space (1980) | City of Valletta (1980) | Megalithic Temples of Malta (1980)
Coordinates: 35 ° 52 '10.54 " N , 14 ° 30' 24.72" O