Malta Through the Ages

The Ġgantija temples on Gozo are among the world's oldest free-standing structures, predating Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids.

An underground sanctuary carved entirely from rock, used as both a temple and a burial site. The famous "Sleeping Lady" figurine was found here.

The last and most elaborate of the temple complexes features intricate spiral carvings and evidence of animal sacrifice.

The sophisticated temple-building civilisation vanished suddenly — possibly due to soil degradation from over-farming, famine, or drought.

After the Temple period came the Bronze Age. From this period, there are remains of a number of settlements and villages, as well as dolmens — altar-like structures made out of very large slabs of stone. They are claimed to belong to a population certainly different from that which built the previous megalithic temples.