DISCOVERY 



203 



of megaliths usually surrounds such buildings the 

 entrance of which is found in the middle of a semicir- 

 cular forecourt. The Tarxien monument consists of 

 three separate buildings raised in succession, though 

 joining each other. 



The first temple consisted of two double apses, with 

 a corridor in the middle leading to the north-west to 

 an open space, in which a dolmen stood, probably, 

 against the wall, and to the south-east to an entrance 

 marked by a high threshold. The pillars limiting the 

 corridor are enormous blocks of limestone over 6 feet 

 high, and the apses are made of large hammer-dressed 

 slabs standing erect. The floor is made of a thick 



This second temple was made larger than the first, 

 for instead of the usual two oval enclosures it has 

 three, parallel to each other, but decreasing in size 

 from south to north. The oval space to the south is 

 the largest, measuring in length about 60 feet, the next 

 about 40 feet, and the following one about 30 feet. 

 Two short dolmenic corridors connect the three oval 

 chambers. The passage between the first and second 

 oval chambers is barred by a slab on end, about 3 feet 

 high, decorated in front by two symmetrical spirals 

 in relief. 



This would show that the use of the two northern 

 chambers was restricted to the priests, who entered 



Fig. I.— GENERAI, view OF, AND ENTRANCE To, THE TAKXIUN MEGAI.ITHIC TEMPLES, MALTA. 



layer of a beaten white, clayey earth over a bed of 

 stones. The apses were originally domed over by 

 layers of masonry consisting of hewn stones. 



A small window, between two of the wall slabs of 

 the north-eastern apse, looks into a room which 

 probably was the seat of an oracle. It would seem that 

 the Stone Age people consulted oracles and sooth- 

 sayers very frequently, for similar rooms more or less 

 secluded, with structural features which suggest that 

 they were shut off by a veil, are found in all the 

 Maltese megalithic temples as well as in the Hj'pogeum, 

 or underground temple, of Hal-Saflieni. 



Apparently the earliest temple was found insufficient, 

 for a second was built close to it, so close, in fact, 

 that the western apses of the earlier temple were 

 puUed down to make room for a new wall and for a 

 flight of steps to lead into the new building. 



the holy precincts from a passage to the right of the 

 temple. This passage was reached through a flight 

 of steps wedged in between the walls of the first and 

 second temples. Whilst no sort of decoration appears 

 in the first building, a few carved patterns are met 

 with in the second. 



Beside the spirals cut on the slab which obstructs 

 the passage between the first and second compartments, 

 a magnificent scroll pattern is cut on the face of two 

 slabs on end, screening the two apses of the second 

 compartment. The pattern consists of four simple 

 spirals, one at each angle of the slab, with a raised disc- 

 in the middle. The spirals, flat and quite smooth, are 

 brought into further relief by a roughened background 

 of circular pittings. 



The pitting of stones for decorative purposes is 

 characteristic of the Maltese Stone Age. 



