Heritage Malta - Museum Site in Tarxien - Tarxien Neolithic Temples

We visited Tarxien Neolithic Temples, Tarxien, as part of our visit to Malta in 2011

Tarxien Neolithic Temples

Entrance fee is applicable to this Heritage Malta archaeological site.

The temples are dated from the "Copper Age". You can see the results of the temple building skills of Neolithic settlers.

There are two main Neolithic Temples on the Tarxien site - The eastern one was built first around 3,000 to 2,500 B.C. followed by the temple to its south west.

There are concentrations of megalithic relief art depicting various spiral and animals, including pigs, bulls, goats and a ram along with many spiral designs. Many of the original pieces are now in the National Archaeological Museum in Valletta.

The site wasn't discovered until 1913 when local farmers informed a Archaeologist that was working in the area. The farmers claimed to strike large rocks in a particular area when ploughing.

The site was excavated between 1915 and 1919 exposing the temples.

There have been exploritory digs outside the excavated are that have revealed that there is an indication that Tarxien Temples are at the centre of a much bigger prehistoric complex!