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Location:
Tarxien, Malta
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Grid Reference:
35°
52' 05" N, 14° 05' 45" E.
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Description
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Carved
from solid rock. When discovered it contained the bodies of over 7000
people. It is at least three storey's deep, and contains rock-cut features
such as a 'speaking chamber', trilithons,
lintelled-doorways, a large cistern and a 'holy of holies' surrounded
by 'embryonic' chambers.
T he Hypogeum is one of the greatest
remaining structures from prehistory. Its pristine condition allows us to
see the past through the eyes of our ancestors.
(Click
here for map of the site)
(Scroll down for more)..
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The Hypogeum, Malta.
What was the purpose of the Hypogeum -
The hypogeum offers us a rare glimpse at the prehistoric synthesis of
funerary, sun-worship and shamanic traditions. The central chamber has several
small rounded cubicles carved into the walls which, it is currently suggested, were
originally intended for 'living' people as part of a ritual, in which they
would have had to lie inside in a foetal position (out of necessity). It is
perhaps relevant that traces of 'ergot' have been found in the chamber called the
'cistern', and that one of the physical effects of ergot is to constrict
bodily muscles, resulting in a forced foetal position. Furthermore, it
is reported that from within these small cubicles, echoes from the 'speaking'
chamber reverberate into a rhythm that is similar to the human heartbeat.
We can conclude from this that the Hypogeum was
originally designed and constructed as a functional structure, and was used
for ritualistic purposes and that it's service as a storage chamber for the dead
was a secondary and final use only.
The Skeletons:
When it was first discovered, the skeletons of over 7,000 people were found
near the inside chambers at the entrance. Today apparently only six skulls
survive. They appeared 'elongated' and one lacked the Fossa median
(the join that runs along the top of the skull) (2).
Peet (4) says of Hal Saflieni that: 'When the museum authorities took
over the Hypogeum practically all the chambers were filled to within a short
distance of the roofs with a mass of reddish soil, which proved to contain
the remains of thousands of human skeletons. In other words, Hal Saflieni
was used as a burial place, though this may not have been its original
purpose. The bones lay for the most part in disorder, and so thickly that in
the space of about 4 cubic yards lay the remains of no less than 120
individuals. One skeleton, however, was found intact, lying on the
right side in the crouched position, i.e. with arms and knees bent up...The
bodies themselves were so damaged with damp that only ten skulls could be
saved whole'.
'That the bones at Hal Saflieni were placed there when free from flesh is
probable from the closeness with which they were packed together. (4)
The Structure:
 The
entrance to the Hypogeum is through an unsuspecting doorway in an
unsuspecting street. It was first discovered in 1902, when
builders broke through whilst building foundations for a house. At first,
the hole was covered over and the event was kept quiet but word of the
discovery soon got out and the museum authorities moved in to protect it.
Note from the photo (right), that the Hypogeum, although underground, was
built near the top of a natural hill. The nearby
Hal
Tarxien,
temple complex was
was
built higher still on the same face of the hill.
Although most of the Hypogeum is underground, the entrance to it was built
with megaliths, placed in what was presumably the natural entrance of
the original cave.
The 1990-1992 excavations suggested that there may have
once been a monumental structure built directly on top. (3)
The
'speaking chamber' is a hole in the wall carved with a rounded interior
surface. The result is an echo which reverberates throughout the hypogeum.
It is speculated that this hole was part of a ceremonial process.
A design was painted in
red-ochre onto the ceiling of one chamber which starts off on one side with a
honeycomb design and transforms into an collection of 'floral' spirals on
the other.
The hypogeum includes replicas of features
from megalithic structures above ground on
Malta.
It is possible to see
both trilithons and 'doorways' in
the same style as those found in the numerous temples on the islands. It
was also the place where the famous terracotta figure called the 'Sleeping
Lady' was found (in a 'cistern' containing numerous offerings).
We can assume from the 'sleeping goddess' and the
similarity in its design that the Hypogeum is contemporary with the
several large temple structures found on Malta.
Chronology -
At its earliest, the Hypogeum' is dated at around 4000 BC (1),(3)
Archaeo-astronomy -
The 'Holy of holies' within the heart of the
hypogeum is placed so as to be illuminated by the annual winter solstice
sunrise (the shortest day of the year), which would have originally
shone through the entrance (as was the case with most other Maltese
temples), and directly onto the holiest of holies.
It has been observed that the Maltese temples are often 'paired', which
makes the nearby
Tarxien
temple the most likely candidate as a partner.
A second Hypogeum (The Hypogeum II),
has been discovered underneath the
Xaghra Circle
on Gozo Island.
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Important Notice:
The Hypogeum is open on a
Restricted Viewing
basis only.
At times it is necessary to book ahead, which
is possible via the following link:
WWW.heritagemalta.org |
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Gallery of Images:
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 |
 |
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| The
Trilithon Entrance. |
The
Holiest of Holies. |
The
'Central' chamber. |
The
offering pit or 'cistern'. |
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 |
 |
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| Connected
chambers. |
Doorway and steps. to
nowhere. |
Carved
ceiling lintels. |
Side
chambers. |
(Other Maltese sites)
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