AFRICA, MALTA, ETC. 



great complex of underground chambers and 

 passages. It is quite clear that its eventual fate 

 was to be used as a burial place for thousands of 

 individuals, but it is far from certain that this 

 was the purpose for which it was built. The 

 existence of the central chamber, with its careful 

 work and laborious imitation of an open-air 

 ' temple,' is against this interpretation. It has 

 therefore been suggested that the hypogeum was 

 meant for a burial place, and that the central 

 chamber was the chapel or sanctuary in which 

 the funeral rites were performed, after which the 

 body was buried in one of the smaller rooms. 

 This, however, does not explain the presence of 

 burials in the chapel itself, and it is far more likely 

 that it was only after Halsaflieni had ceased to be 

 used for its original purpose that it was seized 

 upon as a convenient place for burial. 



The question of the date of the Maltese mega- 

 lithic buildings is a difficult one. It is true that 

 no metal has been found in them, and that we 

 can therefore speak of them as belonging to the 

 neolithic age. But the neolithic age of Malta need 

 not be parallel in date with that of Crete for 

 example. It is extremely probable that Malta 

 lay outside the main currents of civilization, and 

 that flint continued to be used there long after 

 copper had been adopted by her more fortunate 

 neighbours. 



"3 



