By: Wilfred L. Camilleri

The Tarxien temples are located in the town of Tarxien. The temple is surrounded by a built up area and provide for a very contrasting comparison between the ancient and modern architecture of the islands of Malta. These temples offer the best example of the neolithic era temples that can be found in Malta.

It is estimated that these temples were built between 2400 and 1800 B.C.

Before these temples were discovered, they were buried under a farmer's field. This helped protect the elaborate carvings on the stone and artifacts that were in the temples. The farmer used to hit the top of the large block of limestone while plowing his fields. In 1914, getting tired of the obstructions, the farmer decided to dig out what he thought were boulders, and the rest is history! The renown Maltese archaeologist Dr. Zammit was brought to the site and the discovery of the magnificent temples of Tarxien was under way.

The complex consist of three interconnected temples. The vestigial remains of an earlier temple are located close to the third temple.

The basic layout of the temples is similar to other temples of the period. A central corridor with apses facing each other. The walls of these temples are carved with spirals and animal shapes. The lower part of a statue of a fat woman, generally thought to be the goddess of fertility, is one of the gems found in this temple. The originals of sculpture and carved stones found in the Tarxien temples can be found in the National Museum in Valletta. Replicas are located where the originals were discovered. This was done in order to preserve the priceless objects.

On entering the first temple, to the left one can see a small altar. The base of this altar is decorated with spirals. Animal skeletons, including one of a goat, along with a flint knife, thought to be used for sacrificial ceremonies, were found here. The animals portrayed on the friezes are those of sheep, goats, and pigs.

Once past the first two apses, another series of apses complete the first temple. The end apse is in the form of an elaborate altar with a niche above a raised platform. A double row of horned spirals adorns one of the slabs.

The corridor from the right-hand chamber leads to the second temple, which consists of three series of alveoles.

The huge walls of the second temple are discoloured by fire and a large block of stone in the middle is thought to have been used for burning aromatic plants. Further on, there is a huge stone bowl which was probably used for cooking. The blocks in this area are covered with engravings of bulls and one showing a sow with her piglets.

The third temple is reached by a corridor located on the right hand side of the first chamber of the second temple. As you enter the corridor that leads to the third temple, there is a passage on the left hand side in the in fillings between the two temples. A set of stairs can be found at the end of the passage. This is thought to have been a priest's access to the inner rooms of the middle temple. Others were probably barred from accessing these rooms as is evident by an eye-decorated slab across the doorway.

The vestigial remains of a small Ggantija era temple are located east of the third temple.

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