478 



THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



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A BULL AND A SOW CARVED IN BOLD RELIEF ON THE WALL OF ONE OF THE 

 CHAMBERS IN THE TEMPLE OF TARXIEN (SEE PAGE 477) 



These are among the earliest carvings of this type known. Near by, carefully hidden 

 under the entrance to the sanctuary, were found two large bull's horns, suggesting that this 

 animal was worshiped in Malta as the Minotaur was worshiped in Crete (see "The Sea Kings 

 of Crete," by James Baikie, in The Geographic for January, 1912). 



Between the screens and the entrance 

 rose two huge pillars, now broken off at 

 ground level. In the center of the room 

 is a sacred hearth, while apse P contains 

 a well-preserved altar and a font, the 

 latter being pit-marked and still bearing 

 traces of red ocher. In a tall slab oppo- 

 site the carved screen is a black spot on 

 the edge near the floor. When excavated 

 the bottom of this pillar was found to be 

 adorned with five pebbles let into the 

 stone, three in the top row and two below 

 at the ends. Xo convincing explanation 

 has been suggested for these stones. 



We now come to the last and final 

 room, R S T U. Here no stone barrier 

 bars the way, but the holes for the screens 

 can still be seen. 



The last apse is the smallest of all, and 

 the inward inclination of the stones indi- 

 cates that the rooms were domed over. 



With feelings of awe we retrace out- 

 steps down the main aisle, and, having 

 arrived at Room L-N, we turn to the left 

 and find an exit marked N in the plan. 



On each side is a sort of pulpit on which 

 the priest might have stood to address the 

 worshipers. 



Possibly an image or round stone ball, 

 of which several two feet in diameter 

 were found, was placed on this pedestal. 



The exit leads to a much more roughlv 

 built series of rooms, marked W-X and 

 Y-Z. Outside exit X T and on the left is 

 a flight of steps, A'. 



SECRETS OF THE PAST AWAIT DISCOVERY 



Beyond these apses sufficient soil has 

 been removed to show that the prehis- 

 toric buildings extended for a consider- 

 able distance into the next field, and that 

 the walls are those of square, and not 

 oval, buildings. Here it seems likely that 

 the laity lived, and it is hoped that when 

 funds are once more available further 

 research may be carried out to delve into 

 the secrets of the long-forgotten past. 

 Here we may find one more clue in our 

 attempt to solve the question whence 

 man came, in the hope that we may find 

 whither man goeth. 



