511312016 A Monumental Mandate - Archaeology Magazine Archive .. TEL AU'IU UNIUERSITY

TAU Internationat

O ~ Archive ""'l"~ "~l1lf!111llii~'-I'" (bttp' Hwwwarchaeology orgD --A publication of the Archaeological Institute of America

online features A Monumental Mandate October 12, 2004

Text by Mark Rose

Photographs by Andrew Lowell Siayman

Heritage Malta has taken up the challenge of managing unparalleled cultural treasures.

Ciavascript:biglmageC'htlp:Harchive.archaeology.ora/image.php?page=onlinelfeatures/maHa/ipegs/malta1.ipeg'))

The Neolithic Temple Hagar Qim, Malta, at sunset [LARGER IMAGEl Ciavascript: big ImageC'http:Harchive.archaeology.ora/image.p hp?page=online/features/maltaljpegs/malta1.jpeg'))

The paradox of the Maltese archipelago--five islands lying in the Mediterranean 60 miles south ofSicily--is how so much cultural heritage came to be packed into such a small area. This

nation's vast heritage has been recognized for centuries. En route to Egypt at the behest of King Louis XVI of France, Charles Sonninni stopped at the islands in 1777 and made the

following observation, "Before the island of Malta became the domain of the Brotherhood of St. John of Jerusalem, it had passed successively into the hands of several potentates. From

the Carthaginians down to the Arabs it underwent a frequent change of masters; the vestiges of antiquity in it are accordingly not few." Sonnini wrote also that he saw in a library "a

petrified bone of great size," which he took to be from a quadruped. When Napoleon's fleet ousted the Knights of St. John in 1798, Vivant Denon, one ofthe scholars accompanying the

French expedition to Egypt, visited the library and noted "an etruscan vase found at Gozo, of the greatest beauty, both with respect to the earth and the painting. I likewise inspected a

very large glass vase, a lamp also found at Gozo, and a kind of votive disk in stone, with a bas relief, representing, on one of the sides, a sphinx, with a paw placed on the head of a ram.

The style of this latter object sufficiently denotes its antiquity."

paae=onlinelfeatures/maltaljpegs/malta2 jpeg')) page=online/features/maltaljpegs/malta3 jpeg'» page=online/features/maltaljpegs/malta4 jpeg'» [LARGER IMAGEl [LARGER IMAGEl [LARGER IMAGEl Ciavascript:biglmage('http:Harchive.archaeology.org/image.php? Ciavascript: big ImageC'http:Harchive.archaeology.ora/imag e.php? Ciavascript: big ImageC'http:Harch ive.archaeology.ora/i mage.php? page=onlinelfeatures/malta/jpegs/malta2 jpeg')) page=online/features/malta/jpegs/malta3 jpeg'» page=online/features/maltaljpegs/malta4 jpeg'»

Architectural heritage abounds in Malta's capital, Valletta, from baroque churches and sixteenth-century fortifications, to more recent historical structures, such as this modern gun emplacement which has been converted into a restaurant.

While such artifacts were of interest, the megalithic temples on the two largest islands, Malta and neighboring Gozo, were of wonder. Early speculation about these Late Neolithic (3500

to 2500 B.C.) temples ran Wild. In 1647, the antiquarian Gian Francesco Abela, vice-chancellor ofthe Knights, wrote that they were built by a race of giants descended from Noah. Jean

Houel, an artist in Louis XVI's court, declared in 1787 that they were Phoenician, while Charles de Brochtorff, who painted the Ggantija temple and excavated at Xaghra in the 1820s

called them "druidical." Despite an 1854 attempt by to claim them, and the Maltese islands, as remnants of Atlantis, by the end of the nineteenth century the temples were recognized as

prehistoric structures.

If the Malta's monuments needed any international acknowledgment to mark their significance, that came in the closing decades of the last century. In 1980, UNESCO entered on its

World Heritage list two Neolithic sites--the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum, a subterranean burial complex, and Ggantija, one ofthe megalithic temples. In 1992, this entry was renamed "The

Megalithic Temples of Malta" and expanded to include the temples of Hagar Qim, Mnajdra, Tarxien, Ta'Hagrat (also known as Mgarr), and Skorba. Also placed on the World Heritage list

in 1980 was Valletta, the nation's capital. Valletta, named for the head of the Knights of Malta who led defense against the Turkish siege in 1565, is an architectural gem of baroque

buildings and unparalleled bastions and ramparts. Sonnini called the Grand Harbor of Valletta "one of the largest and most beautiful in the universe" and claimed that the "fortifications

which defend the port and city are the best in the world."

http://archive.archaeology.org/online/features/maltal 1/5

&'13r'2016 A Mon.menlal Mandalie - Archaeology MagazIneArclM

.. _II_ ... fIIr .. ...,-II_ .. __ .. oojII ...... llllliII'"ma .. """"oollloo~n....t;.pr.---...t~_Imw ... _ .. ...,t. .. _ ... ...,."' ... _pllo .... _, ...

.. ....-IIfH ....... -.

""""d wIIh thl. arnbarrB...".ntafrlchu-ftum NeDlllhlc.mp'-lII _rtyC"Plrilln ....... mb.1II Wortd WII, H gun .mp __ nd grawllIIJ _ .. tam develDpm.ntand IDurl ....

Ih. "ellll .. go-..rnent .. orgenlzed lIII.pp_1II lie putwllh lie Cullural HllrItogB Adof2002 ......... g I .. pnwIIIf"" •• Ih .. Et_bll""ad H.rliloga .. ellll e.". ~1III1 egeney lIIIIru .... d wIIh th .. managam.nt Dfndolllli m.-urne.nd he"'""" ........ ".1,...,...,.". h Mo.IIII."d Gam. H.-I~. MoIbl began op .... "". Jenuery 1. 2003 •• nd _,thld,..., I liplike wIIh l1li chlosf .... cuIIve "'"""~ AnlDlnriI CeNene. end he, _lDont8uDln .. h De~Ie.

HorIIIgo _~or_~ ... _t... I!..ARGIR.·QIl fInIMQtI:blpW_O!lp;IfInIb!ryI!!bMplDty.pny1mMybpl

H .... MI" lh!!p!llleehMllMwn ...... 1 accarIIinglll illl webIibt. il"th. nalionll Ig.ney 01' .... GMomm.nt oI'M11iIl MI up in 2002 und., .... plOVilia'" 0I'1M Cu~ral H.~ Id end .nirulled willi th. man.gementofllllllonli mUNulllland heltllge 111M 1I"ICI .... I'coIlM*In.ln Mdl end Gozo, Indudlng _n UNESCO World Helflll\lil,IIM." H.m.:g. MIIIIo .. port. III III. Mlnl*yfo, Tourllm and Culkl .. and II lMlIded by a board. which Indud. gOVlMTlm.nlllllnd nongCMImm.nIIlrep_ntIItho<n.AIong wIIh IiIIItIIge MllIII. 1M IdcrMtl<l

III ... DIll .. DIIIcIII bDdlea; .... CommlllM oI'O"a .. ",". an over.lghlgRIUp; 11. " ¢1w!Wp plC ..... 1 H ..... !blip.: 21",""'" =wnn which II.mcllonl u a .. gulllDry bDdy. and th. M ... c._fpc RutpntIpn 'htlp·,.... ..... ,m"l d ..",,0 "" 1IIIIDlllllindIuII tI'1hI tMchq. olnlng. _rd! • .,d praete. olcon.rvdon ."d dledftald ..

lhe mInd"" ofHarlblga MIIIIIII much b_,""n _ofllll P_. "a YIIna .. bla M.-u ... Depe_nt. Aeeln, from the H~ .. __ • "_ng Ihe """'IInll"" DI

Ibu, Qy .epac:le Dl'1h. ndDn.1 eullural ha~. n ..... 1y ""''-sI'lnIntllO--..Ik>n, I~I"" ."d rrerkea.g. H.-I-.g. MllIbl beNe .11111 adlvlla. ba.rlng In mind _ all DU' ndDn.1 mUNuml .nd __ .n Imporlilnt rollolll pilly In ed.-n. '-mlng ......... nd 1M g ...... U"" oI_u .. III tHo 181..-.:1 In II. h_ge MelD,." "Mlough _'re. n_ org.nIzdDn,"......- CoN.IIII. __ • hun_,... .. ofhlllDly. III glw ... ..,11d .... _. bulllgl_ ... Iotofltl ...... g ... uWllII."

"..,IM. CeDIIIIII mlghl_m an ~~m",lycholc.1II INK! H.-Iag. ~1lI1a, IIIne. "". CIITIIIlI the Job willi I background In bull_ not In all:hHO~ I'IIIDnIIIIon. nIIInIl ~1IIDry; 0' .... like. "Ithinkwe.1I hlMI to b. humbl •• nollllh 10 know wile .. ou,.""" .nd whe .. 0 ........... _ ... : "". """""*' ... "OIrrioueiy myweakn_ i .. rm not knowIedgnbl. eboulthe 1edDr. IIMII_ in ,."..:Ing people" ~rti .. ."d meking ", .. that people who knowwhatlhey'N"'" cen blalowM III liPMkup. &:I u.ts on.lling l1atringl.-u •• in menulllcCurlng. banking. 0' Inylhlng. you know1l1'you don't brlng1hltNom lDaethe, .... _,*,,11. dewlOlNl*llollll. Hrn.1II ..... nollling you CIIn do:

lh. nlWlyfound.d Ig.ncy_ put in dillVI' ofl portillia ofm_ ... ana ~icel8I1d DIII ....... Among 11.Iomwr_th. Nalionlll Mu.um oI'ArchI..,1oW the Inquililo ....

PaIIe..III. MUMum oIFin. Arb, NatlolIIIl WIr MlilMUm.."d Naaonll MUlMUm olNallll"ll1 HlalDry (III on MIIII) Ind .... M""um 01 ~~ Nlllural So*~ ~. CIa PrIIoo. and lh. Armoury (on Gozo~ Th. I .... ' Incluo:t. OIIe, Dellom c.ve. _I Neolllhlc.m,* IIld rnortJery~ •• nurrtlerofRom.n and eerty CMlllan .... nd _n • ndillonel

windmill. Harillg. MIIIa_allD ImmedllrlillyflKled willi _ral ... ~~. wdI ...... ImIIIng 011 .. oIION II'omth. Ndonal MUNum oIArcha..,1ogy1ll IMW dip "" .... 11 ..... Mlrcha"'- Slraat, III a c:omp .. ha,*,,- UPl!"" ofllO .... rvdDn ..... IIIM Ilthe~ ... mlgllllhlcl8mpll IIOmpl .... to I IIOmpletl _mp of"" "RI;J"",n \/I"" ..... lMUm.

lha Did haadquerlll .. welin uppa, 1II'1II1 """"'" of". _""I M.-.... 0I_1ogy. which OCCIJ", ....... ~ d. _"".Ih. I"IIlId .... allh. KnlghtawhD .. mllhlm PnIYIIn"". H,rlbl.g. M.III .. now .bode Ie In ... Ok! Unlw .. 1Iy Bull!al\lll ~ Menlhe .... snet. CMgtI.lly bul~lHIghIlng In 1585 u. Ja.,ltllOllege."1 ilWuclu .. _"*'1III1v111y .. mDdaiad In 11147 _,. nalrby~' megezlna nplodall. When the .-.111_ expelled In 1718, Ih .. ~ .. aonlnuad ulh. Public Unlvarelly orGana .. 1 SlullIee. ft_clDMHI by N'polIDn In 17gB. Sin"" "an ftwu LJMd", e Yllrlelyoffunclla ... !rom. _ncIIIry_11II IMAI,Reld PNceu~",," c...1nI",1h1 .... 11_ dillfrld.ln _II. Thl newly .. "", .. d building welln.ugurelad .. H,rlbl.1IO MllIII'e home be. In Sep1ember~.

&'13r'2016 A Mon.menlal Mandalie - Archaeology MagazIneArclM

U_ 1 HorItago _ prqod""'-'" bflho _"'-' a... _ r.mplu, MI ... wi bo "'--""'1'" ....-_1hooltn ____ ~""" __ wlbo_ .. "_..,..

A ,.,mp .. hlrm-.. pi.., tu p ..... "'" th. T.rJd .. sill •• II""'P ofbur..-galllhie ~-. lind ImplUVlllhlllvWla .... ..m.rtha .. WIt undarlloklon with fundlllll lium 1M e.ntofVaIIrill. bdaJ. bUllo8dr. oflOurill&overwIMlm IIMI_II vililan c.rIW •• nd IIMI Nil"ll.iIlq)OIId lD IhIo .110_ ..... d.1IIriorri1Q. 111. projllds obj.di_ .... limpls: preYMlIIMI monumentfor IIJIure gen.rdon .. ItIIIM K more __ bill lD. 1"1"'11' of.IIIIIII_ •• lKIn.noII IIMolllll'Ol.l1dlng urban ratoId .. laI nlighborhood.1I11 upandld 'lllIIDr oenllor InviA/IId In the prop_I includes mo .. lJIhibition 1P8QI. plul. ceflleril.gift.hop.ldi~ CII"IIIorb" 1i:II. and ollloll.And th .. th ...... th. lIIeller OY8rllMo.mpl ... 111. Taroi .. propoMI 000 ...... _ Inllalldon 01'1 p,w,,:avelhellerforllMomlln plrt ofth'lIII. _11",, __ of.bolll100 by 170 1IIt. acourwl1hu lD pro/Idth. lite. butatlll,.me ~m. K mUll Mw lIMo iNI'IIt po_bl. numblrofllUpportt.1O II notlD dlrlllllll.lIMolIII. Iml*Mo pdIwayI Irrollllh Hor IntIrIIN wllh 'II.bllI~.

Anolhll"lmporlllntproject 1111118 compll1ll ..tUrbllhll"llnt.nd rdlocuIl"" o1wllM hMI .n CIIItd RamIn Villi Uld MUMum rARomln AntIqullili. ExoIvUtd In 1881. 1IMo,1It-4I Roll"llln domul (houM) nHr Mdlnl-l'ellured polychrome motIlct with IIIOmHlclnd 1Igu..ao.. <IMIgn, Uld _11*1"'. As .1I1J ......... 111 ... -moll8d RomU1 hOUllilIeft much lD bI dIII .. d. 'tllm. d.rk. .... ry opp ......... Kwu .... ry 1811Ot. .... ryVlct:>_ •• 1II)'I Dlpuqu .... 111. proIl<t.lnckrd" 111. con.MI~on of1h. tile .nd lIMo dlwlopl"l"llntofllMo.rchIologloll rulnt blhlnd.

III. nollo .. Iddlng IIllt -w. c.nnot fIIllylDuch th. bulldll"l(l. ~ .ctuII11y. Nt1DrIc bulldl",,""". AIIlough Itls llIOOI1m.rctlon,lIhough K may nalb. IN. to whlt1hay .. ", In th. put. butK II .cIlllIOmllhlng which II Plrt ofour hlltory Ind .. Ruld bI .... ry pfOOd ofll, II-. way It~.11y hu ~ dlYllopad.ln 11111820 .. ' Butllll mu ..... m had b.com, I mlxoflXhlbltll. ""111 ,_rled d_IIc, fun.rw~ and IIIltcullurw' ,rtrII,* and drap •• n,. _mpld Ro_. DomUI """ tM::ll'lOIlIy on dornHllc " ...... ., 111 .......... oIh.rlh ....... """ b. dlMl'oped at .... r tile .. 1br ..."pl,. 1t1h' RollMln IIIIrleullu .. 1 '111111 at SIn Pawl "'kII.

Tho ..... ..,._.-....._""""'""lIIx.gmo,l3aa>, .... d • .,.-IIf_ .. ~ __ . 1LA8GERIIMCEI/IerwaW· .... ImMlll'Nlp·IiIrd! ....... _IoDl!fldo! • ...."I1

nil,..,..,...,. .... ' hr"'" ..." According to o.pa.:juala. thl.dlc.nInIllad .pplUBch '\1_ rna .. "",,plio III _. ~ __ ......... und ....... d • bit ........ lind __ to mobllU .. thllltha Informllllon and th.

Iduc.~an WI'ra pulling an alii noIIe,* 1M 01110 In 1IH1f. w. ... ouch ..... I*nd.lfs rldlo.llaullo acluBlly con"",lrallllMlrylhlng within ontllnrrlllullan. Kju.tdoan' ........... And ona "'ing _ "."y_ntto da i. to 'ink up 1M ",,"aclial"lll.nd 1M ""_ from ... hI", IhIycorntl. Sa ........ m"' •• if you 110 ID "'. Hypegaum you .. I abjacl5thlll ... -..r'lyfi"am 1M Hypogaum.·" lhlllchllTll. Ihe IIYI. lIMo NIIioI"lllI MUlllum of ~1oOY II notllMo'" __ • blllH'-- II .1001 klr _rdl .. d ptl)"fldIOIl broad'll ... oIwhatll going on

througholll MIlle..

Working with other govemment ao-nciM • critic.11II lIMo • ...:x:aaN1 oulconw 01 H";IIQ. Malta .. IIiIrII.. Same O!Ioperation _ buiK inID lIMo eIrucIu .. of lIMo 1(IM"I1:y. '111. ch;.t.-:uhl

of1h. Mlitl ToIIIIm AuIhorll:f II ob\billy 01\ OW" board.' ~otM Clruana. "so1herl11. dl .. ctllnk. Bltldll1hlt.ltVlllouIIIVIII. our paopllo h ......... rydINOtdMllI(II willi .... PIOI)II at MIA. Wlill 111" SUlMlllnllllndenc. ot'Cullural Heritage. 1he reldonlhlp lIa workil"l(l '''liii01"11,*. 8IcIUM WI .... boll \WY young organlzallons. " .... arel number ot'gray a .. al1h1t I .. aopping up Ind thll_ need 10 _lYe II WI go along.' He~ MII""' ..... 1ddI •• 110 wofkingwi" ", PIi __ Uld oIh.r .ntitie .. Among th. oIherorglnizlliont .nd

In.cllullonlwllh which Heritage MlltllntI!Irra-ll1he Fo~nl WlrtArhl. or Me,,", HM1IMt ltuI1;lbUp:lJWn; '",b,NIP' In 1"1(10 1hatadmlnl ........... 1 hlllorio bulldlll(ll.nd libtl, .. nging lium lh. N.olilhiclllmpilo at Kamin. to 1he blroqlll .... of .... CotID ...... elflnli .... syaIIIm ofbldonld ~ ID FortRinella.. Britilh p.riod Victllriln klrL n,.", ... 110 lIle UnlYertltyofMllla .. DI"rlmlnt pic_a Inc! Arc;hMoIpgy IbIIp;IIr!!lDLllD.t*r.mll ' =tr.-..uIRl.l[!mD Uld 111. au !Old TlIDpII , , M ...........

Ib!!pIf "".,,"" whoM mllillon 11111 "baIr~.lonIlIWll"lll'.lnd undlnllandlng ot'MIItI .. p",hlltollc h.rIIIg •• •

'II""""gl Malia I,trylng to foculll1olAtagyon a numblrofkloy ._.'1qII CooIIIII"II. 'On. II"'. Mluca.~onaI .. d , ..... Ing upoctln our m.-.m. and lite .. ThI """'r III thl ......... blllir. 1I1a oIhlrl,lDull ... and .000namlc palanlla'. Whlr. ... ", cullu", rIch •• nd 'thl~k .....taoun,"," might....,wllII III h ..... Ihl' kind 01. hlalury-7,oOO }'Ia .. afhllllary, what

511312016 A Monumental Mandate - Archaeology Magazine Archive

with such a small country--we don'tleel a sense olpride. Not in our nation, not in our history. We leel that as a nation that's been divided. We don't have civil wars or anything like that, but

we've been very bipolar on many, many issues, from politics, to social class, to a lot 01 other things. Our culture is one thing that can help to unite the population 01 Malta. And we feel, as

part 01 our mission, to create a sense 01 identity, a sense 01 awareness about what is ours, what is Maltese. So we hope to be able to develop a number oloutreach programs with the

schools, with the older generation as well, trying to get women more involved as well. Because we know that they influence the family very much in Malta."

Accomplishing this means being more active and inclusive as a general policy, adds Depasquale. "There are so many audiences out there. So many. The museums were definitely not

socially inclusive. We need to go into society, and not expect society to come to us. We need to go and knock on people's doors and make ourselves heard. And knowing the Maltese

and knowing how proud they are 01 lillie things, they will embrace all that Heritage Malta will be doing. But we can no longer exclude that partnership with society. We have to make sure

that a partnership is obtained, and make people part olthe development process and the understanding olwhat's going on at the sites." Public awareness is beginning to shift contends

Carauna. 'We are one island in the Mediterranean, which is pretty good for the country," she says, "But there are many good beaches, and the sun shines in other areas as well. Slowly,

we are realizing that Malta has much more to offer than sun and sea. Our culture, our religious tourism, can actually playa strong role in promoting our island, and generating revenue,

much needed revenue lor our economic situation."

Like this watchtower at Senglea, Heritage Malta keeps guard on the island's cultural treasures. [LARGER IMAGEl ljavascript:biglmagaC'httD:llarchiv9.archaeology.ora/imaga.Dho? page=onlinelfeatures/maltaJjpegs/rnalta17.jpeg'))

Mark Rose is executive editor at ARCHAEOLOGY. Thanks are due to Antoinelle Caruana and Suzannah Depasquale 01 Heritage MaHa (http://www.heritagemalta.org) and to Linda Enix

olthe OTS Foundation (http://www.otst.om) for their help with this article. Travel to Malta to research this article was made possible by the Malta Tourism Authority. For more photographs

by Andrew Lowell Siayman, a former senior editor at ARCHAEOLOGY, see www.slayman.com (http://www.slayman.coml.

For more about Malta's heritage, see the ARCHAEOLOGY articles "Decoding the

Megaliths (http://archive.archaeology.org/0407/abstracts/malta.htmll,'' July/August 2004,

and "Celebrating an Island Heritage

(http://archive.archaeology.ora/9707/abstracts/malta.htmll ,'' July/August 1997, and the OTS

Foundation website (http://www.otst.org) and the "Megalithic Temples of MaHa

(http://web.infinito.it/utenti/m/maltamegatempleslindex.htmll .. website maintained by

Daniel Cilia.

© 2004 by the Archaeological Institute 01 America

archive.archaeology.org/online/leatures/malta/