The Ħal Ä inwi temple () was a
prehistoric
Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use of ...
megalithic temple site located southeast of
Żejtun,
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
dating back to the
Ä gantija phase (3600–3200 BCE).
The site is located in an area bearing the same name, or alternatively Ħal Ä ilwi, which is known for its archaeological remains, and lies around one kilometre from the
Tas-Silġ multi-period sanctuary and archaeological site.
History
Remains of the temple at Ħal Ä inwi were found in the vicinity of
San Niklaw chapel, to the right of the main road from Żejtun to
Marsaxlokk
Marsaxlokk () is a small, traditional fishing village in the South Eastern Region of Malta. It has a harbour, and is a tourist attraction known for its views, fishermen and history. As at March 2014, the village had a population of 3,534. The ...
, between Żejtun and the Tas-Silġ temple.
The site is today represented by a few ashlar blocks still visible in a field wall. More remains may survive beneath the soil, since its excavation was superficial.
The site was originally excavated by Albert V. Laferla in 1917.
Architect
An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
Albert E. Vassallo drew the site during Laferla’s archaeological excavations.
Themistocles Zammit
Sir Themistocles "Temi" Zammit (or Å»ammit; 30 September 1864 – 2 November 1935) was a Maltese archaeologist and historian, professor of chemistry, medical doctor, researcher and writer. He served as Rector (1920–26) of the Royal Univer ...
, however, interpreted the remains as a possible domestic dwelling. John D. Evans suggested that the
megalithic
A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a prehistoric structure or monument, either alone or together with other stones. There are over 35,000 in Europe alone, located widely from Sweden to the Mediterranean sea.
The ...
structures resemble more a dual temple site.
Archaeology
The site has five semi-rectangular rooms enclosed within a megalithic wall, and like
Tal-Qadi temple
Tal-Qadi Temple is a megalithic temple in Salina, limits of Naxxar, Malta. It is in a very bad state of preservation, with only the temple's general outline still visible.
Site
The site of Tal-Qadi was possibly in use around 4000 BC, during the ...
, it had an anomalous form when compared with other megalithic temples in Malta. The floors were paved in hard stone or covered in beaten earth (
Maltese
Maltese may refer to:
* Someone or something of, from, or related to Malta
* Maltese alphabet
* Maltese cuisine
* Maltese culture
* Maltese language, the Semitic language spoken by Maltese people
* Maltese people, people from Malta or of Malte ...
: ''torba''). Many pottery shards were found on site, and stone whorls, while
flint
Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Flint was widely used historically to make stone tools and start fir ...
and
chert
Chert () is a hard, fine-grained sedimentary rock composed of microcrystalline or cryptocrystalline quartz, the mineral form of silicon dioxide (SiO2). Chert is characteristically of biological origin, but may also occur inorganically as a prec ...
remains were scarce. Part of a handled cup, with a decoration of pointillé triangles was found on site, which can be compared with remains found at ,
Filicudi
Filicudi () is one of seven islands that make up the Aeolian archipelago, situated northeast of the island of Sicily, southern Italy. It is a ''frazione'' of the ''comune'' of Lipari.
Geography
Its total area is . There are several small vill ...
, an island off
Lipari
Lipari (; scn, Lìpari) is the largest of the Aeolian Islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the northern coast of Sicily, southern Italy; it is also the name of the island's main town and ''comune'', which is administratively part of the Metropolit ...
.
The pottery dated mainly to the Ä gantija and Tarxien phase, with very few sherds from the Tarxien cemetery phase.
The site included remains of a Roman period house, with mosaic floors.
See also
*
List of megalithic sites
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
Notes
References
External links
OMNIA - Hal Ginwi (Malta)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ħal Ä inwi temple, Malta
Neolithic sites
Megalithic Temples of Malta
Żejtun
National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands