Historical & Architectural Detail
The female giant, likely the goddess of fertility, holding a suckling baby is said to have erected the megalithic temples at Ggantija in Gozo within 24 hours, which is where the name Ggantija derives from. Who is to say this legend is not true, when the Bible (Genesis 6:4) tells us “There were giants in the earth in those days”.
The religion of ancient Malta, as of so many other primitive cultures was bound up in worship of the earth as embodied by the goddess of fertility, always depicted in Malta as a fat woman, either standing, sitting or sleeping. What we do know for certain is that the Ggantija temples, which stand at the end of the Xagħra plateau, facing towards the south-east, were built around 3600BC, making them the oldest surviving prehistoric temples in the world (Yes, older than Stonehenge), and together with the other neolithic temples on the islands have been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Surprisingly, their survival was not the result of having been buried, as these temples have never been totally covered by earth, although some excavation was necessary to fully expose them. Rather, it was the material used for their construction which has ensured their continued existence. In 1824 excavations revealed the Ggantija megalithic complex which consists of two temples surrounded by a massive common boundary wall, with an infill of earth in the gaps. The southern temple is the older one and measures about 20 × 30 meters (66 × 98 ft). It was shaped roughly in the form of a cloverleaf with two smaller apses added later. The northern temple is about 23 meters (75 ft) long, also in the shape of a cloverleaf. The temples are built with rough, undressed, coralline limestone blocks. Each temple contains five apses and a middle passageway leading to the innermost trefoil section. The first temple is larger and contains a variety of important features such as altars, relief carvings and libation holes. The second temple is devoid of such features. Also of interest is the corbelling technique evident on the inwardly inclined walls. This was done to reduce the roofing spans which were beyond the length of locally available timber. The inner rooms were only lit by fire. The massive boundary wall is one of the most striking features of the entire temple complex. Its construction is based on the alternating header and stretcher technique and most of the megaliths exceed five metres in length and weigh over fifty tons. The hard-wearing coralline limestone is used extensively at Ġgantija, and is one of the reasons behind the preservation of the monument. The softer Globigerina limestone is reserved for inner furnishings such as doorways, altars and decorative slabs. Each temple consists of a number of apses flanking a central corridor. There is evidence of the internal walls having been plastered and painted over, as proven by two plaster fragments with red ochre, now preserved at the Gozo Museum of Archaeology. The height of the walls is about six meters (20 feet). In front of the entrance lies a huge stone-slab which may have been used for ablutions before entering the temple.. There are remains of the torba (a mixture of chalk, mud and water) floor in the left chamber whilst remains of the ritual equipment can be found In the right chamber. In the rear part of the temple, on the left side there is a double altar with the remains of an oven on the right. In the northern temple only a few things can be found, however the orthostates of the inner corridor are worthy of notice. From their extraordinarily exact shape one can get an impression of the high level of craftmanship of the ancient Maltese stonemasons. The structures are all the more impressive for having been constructed at a time when no metal tools were available to the natives of the Maltese islands, and when the wheel had not yet been introduced. Small, spherical stones have been discovered and it is believed they were used as ball bearings to transport the enormous stone blocks required for the temples' construction. The five apses contain various altars; the finding of animal bones in the site suggests the site was used for animal sacrifice and just outside the North Temple is an area which seems to have been used to secure animals prior to this. A statue of the goddess of fertility was also found here. The walls of the corridors contain a series of holes which may have been used to close off the inner sanctum with wooden beams and curtains, whilst at the entrance is a hole where water or some other liquid may have been poured. Parts of the floor are covered by large stone slabs and other remains tell us that the walls were covered in red-coloured clay. The local community at that time comprised farmers and primitive villagers. The use of fire is evidenced by the presence of stone hearths. A number of libation holes in the floor may have been used for the pouring of liquid offerings. It is probable that during ceremonial activities, the congregation would have assembled outside the temple complex, since the large forecourt in front of the two temples was purposely raised by the same temple builders. A small number of prehistoric objects found at Ġgantija are today preserved at the Gozo Museum of Archaeology and include two stone heads, a large stone block with a snake relief, and a phallic symbol. The temples were in use for around 1000 years, and there is no indication why their use ceased suddenly. During the Bronze age (2500 – 1500 BC) the temples once again came into use for cremation of the dead. Since the temples were excavated they have been not just a tourist attraction, but a source of unique archaeological knowledge. |