Ġgantija
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Ġgantija (also Ggantia) is a megalithic temple complex on the Mediterranean island of Gozo (part of Malta). The two temples of Ġgantija on the island of Gozo are notable for their gigantic Neolithic structures, which were erected during the Neolithic Age (c. 3600-2500 BC). At more than 5500 years old, the Ġgantija temples are the world's oldest free-standing structures, and the world's oldest religious structures, pre-dating the Pyramids of Egypt and Stonehenge. The temples were possibly the site of an Earth Mother Goddess Fertility Cult, with numerous figurines and statues found on site believed to be connected with that cult.
In the Maltese language, Ġgantija means "belonging to the giants".
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[edit] Construction
The temples are cloverleaf-shaped; built up with cyclopean facing stones and filled in with rubble. Each was constructed as a series of semi-circular apses connected with a hall in the center. Archaeologists believe that the apses were originally covered by masonry domes. 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; it is believed that these were used as ball bearings to transport the enormous stone blocks required for the temples' construction.
[edit] Design
The southern temple is the older and more extensive of the two. It dates back to approximately 3600 BCE. The temple, like other megalithic sites in Malta, faces southeast. The southern temple rises to a height of six meters. At the entrance sits a large stone block with a recess. Some archaeologists have hypothesized that this was a ritual ablution station for purification before entering the complex. The five apses contain various altars; evidence of animal bones in the site suggests the site was used for animal sacrifice. Carvings that decorate the site depict goats, sheep, and pigs of both sexes, possibly showing which animals were used by the sacrifical cult.
[edit] Excavations and recognition
The Ġgantija Temples were excavated in 1827 by Col. John Otto Bayer, the Lieutenant Governor of Gozo.[1][2][3]
The Ġgantija temples were made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980.
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