21 November 2017 –– Valletta, Malta

Our taxi driver met us at the port entrance early and after we arrived in the city of Paolo, he recommended a nearby ruin sight within walking distance of the Hypogeum, for which we had a 10:00am tour and we were early.

We followed his suggestion and went to the Tarxien Temple and were glad we did.  The ruins were discovered by a farmer in the early 1900s and are now covered to protect the limestone sight from deterioration by wind and rain.  We spent the next 30 minutes walking through the sight and reading the plaques to explain what we were seeing.  Incredible!   

And little did we know that this would dovetail perfectly into what we were going to see at the Hypogeum!  (Hypogeum is Greek for underground)

We walked to the Hypogeum and our tour started promptly.  We had to check all our bags, cameras, cellphones, etc. before entering.  The sight is controlled for climate, moisture and light.  There are only 10 people allowed per tour and only 4 tours per day.  Thus they can control the carbon dioxide that would cause algae to form on the underground limestone rooms.

The sight was constructed in 6000 B.C. and is in three layers before the earth.  The tour explains everything via hand-held phones, and talks you through the sights and sounds.  All of the rooms and excavations in the limestone were done with only stone tools and possibly some deer antlers.  No metal tools were used. 

Probably about 7,000 bodies were buried in the lower levels of the chamber.  Upper levels were probably used for ritualistic practices related to the life and death of the people; some echo chambers were found, as well as a deep well that could have been used for sacrifices.  Walls and ceilings in some areas still show geometric red ocher paintings, and some elaborate carvings in the stone archways.

It’s believed that the society sailed away and vacated the area around 3000 B.C. to somewhere else, as early explorers of Malta found evidence of living people in the area.

Since we were unable to take photos in the Hypogeum, all we have are the photos we took of the Tarxien Temple and what is still stored in our memory.   What an incredible morning!!

 Farewell to Malta!!