Ancient site · Tomb
Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum
The Hypogeum ('underground place') at Paola, Malta, is a maze of chambers cut into solid rock, covering about 500 square metres. It was used as a sanctuary and burial place, and the remains of more than 7,000 people were recorded.
Finds included finely decorated pottery and stone and clay figures. Builders found it by accident in 1902 while cutting water cisterns. It is one of the best-preserved works of Malta's temple-building culture.
- Dates
- c. 4000–2500 BCE
- Still standing
- Yes
- UNESCO World Heritage
- Yes
- Location
- 35.87° N, 14.51° E
How we know
No writing existed; dating comes from pottery styles and excavated layers.
Nearby sites
- Ġgantija temples c. 3600–2500 BCE
- Carthage founded c. 814 BCE (traditional date); destroyed 146 BCE; Roman city to 698 CE
- Pompeii 7th–6th century BCE – 79 CE
- Su Nuraxi di Barumini tower 17th–13th century BCE; village to the 6th century BCE
- Olympia Games c. 776 BCE (traditional) – 390s CE
- Colosseum 72–80 CE; games until the 6th century
Related
- Maltese temple culture archaeological culture