Date: 3250 – 2800 BCE
Period: Neolithic
Phase: Tarxien
Location: Tarxien, Malta
Access: Public museum managed by Heritage Malta
Site details
Tarxien comprises the remains of four temples with varying layouts. Tarxien South has four apses and a niche. Tarxien Central has six apses and a niche. Tarxien East has an irregularly-shaped four-apse-plus-nice layout and Tarxien Far East has four apses and a niche.
Features
Giant 'fat lady' statue
Giant immovable vessels
Decorated altar with porthole and spiral carvings
Animal carvings
Spiral motifs
Pre-temple cistern
Finds
Model of a temple with a roof
Stone spheres
Jugs
Pottery sherds
Orientation
Tarxien South - south west
Tarxien Central - south west
Tarxien East - south west
Tarxien Far East - south
Interesting facts
In one of the temples there are stairs to nowhere. They may have led to a roof originally since the temples aren't thought to have had second floors.
In the decorated altar a stone plug hid a small compartment which contained animal bones and a flint knife.
The cistern with its finely carved circular stone plug was found underneath the torba flooring of that chamber so it's thought it was in use before the temples were built.
It's the only temple in Malta with six apses. Structural changes were made to Tarxien South and Tarxien East to accommodate this large central temple.