Xrobb l-Għaġin Temple

Xrobb l-Għaġin Temple

Site of the temple
Shown within Malta
Location	Xrobb l-Għaġin, Marsaxlokk, Malta
Coordinates	35°50′38.8″N 14°34′4.9″E / 35.844111°N 14.568028°ECoordinates: 35°50′38.8″N 14°34′4.9″E / 35.844111°N 14.568028°E
Type	Temple
Part of	Megalithic Temples of Malta
History
Material	Limestone
Founded	c.4000 BC (earliest remains) c.3600–3000 BC (temple)
Periods	Ġgantija phase
Site notes
Excavation dates	1914–1915
Archaeologists	Themistocles Zammit A. V. Laferla
Condition	Largely destroyed
Management	Nature Trust Malta
Public access	Yes
Designation	Dangerous Site

Xrobb l-Għaġin Temple was a megalithic temple in Xrobb l-Għaġin, limits of Marsaxlokk, Malta.^[1] It was thought to have been largely destroyed by coastal erosion. However in 2015, the Megalithic building was relocated and a new megalithic structure further to the south-east was discovered. ^[2]

Site

The earliest remains at Xrobb l-Għaġin date back to around 4000 BC, while the temple was built in around 3600 to 3000 BC. It had a typical temple plan with two apses and a central niche. It also had a paved court, with its entrance facing the southeast.

Excavations and recent history

The temple site was investigated by Sir Themistocles Zammit and Dr. A. V. Laferla in 1914 and 1915.^[3] A clay bowl, some slingstones and a decorated slab were recovered and they are now located in the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta.^[4] The site was included on the Antiquities List of 1925.^[5]

The Xrobb l-Għaġin megalithic building excavated in 1915 was located at the cliff edge and has generally been presumed to have been largely, if not entirely, lost to coastal erosion, even being referred to as a ‘destroyed site’. Further to recent research however the site was relocated and remains of megalithic walls were identified on site.^[6] It was reported that the megalithic remains discovered and recorded in 1915 have not yet been claimed by coastal erosion and may still be better preserved than has been generally supposed.^[7] The distinctive layout of the complex is closely tied to the topographic setting, due to the steep gradient of the ground, and the layout of Xrobb l-Għaġin with the level forecourt, may be less atypical than previously thought. ^[8] Furthermore during February 2015, a previously unrecorded Megalithic Structure was discovered to the southeast of the megalithic building, which appears to have been undertaken on a scale as monumental as the Xrobb l-Għaġin building itself, and which promises to shed new light on attitudes to monumentality and its landscape setting in Late Neolithic Malta. ^[9] The site is extremely dangerous as it lies at the very edge of a deeply undercut cliff-top.

The site of the temple is now located within Xrobb l-Għaġin Nature Park managed by Nature Trust Malta.^[4]

References

1. Cilia, Daniel. "Destroyed Megalithic Sites - Xrobb l-Għaġin". The Megalithic Temples of Malta. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
2. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273461178_Xrobb_l-Ghagin_revisited_recovery_and_discovery
3. "History". Xrobb l-Għaġin Nature Park. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
4. "Back to Nature – Xrobb l-Għaġin Nature Park". Sunday Circle. 18 July 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
5. "Protection of Antiquities Regulations 21st November, 1932 Government Notice 402 of 1932, as Amended by Government Notices 127 of 1935 and 338 of 1939.". Malta Environment and Planning Authority. Archived from the original on 20 April 2016.
6. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273461178_Xrobb_l-Ghagin_revisited_recovery_and_discovery
7. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273461178_Xrobb_l-Ghagin_revisited_recovery_and_discovery
8. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273461178_Xrobb_l-Ghagin_revisited_recovery_and_discovery
9. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273461178_Xrobb_l-Ghagin_revisited_recovery_and_discovery