New-York tribune., 1922-04-02
Antiquities Of Malta
Unique Relics of the Stone Age in the Little Island
of the Mediterranean

TO the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: Most Americans know very
little about the Island of Malta They
think of it as q mere dot in the midst
CT the Mediterranean, great naval
base and nm important coaling depot.
This, indeed. it is, and more, too. The
fact that it has most interesting re-
mains Of great antiquity is unknown,
except to a few arche oloQists and some
viritors who have stopped there on
their way to or from Egypt. These
remains Of the Stone Age are in a
wonderful state Of preservation.
The Stone Age buildings of Malta
are by far the finest in the whole
Mediterranean region. From its geo.
graphical position Malta, in about the
center Of the Mediterranean, is ex-
ceptionally we'll situated as seat of
commerce. In straight line, due east,
lie the islands Of Crete and Cyprus and
the coast Of that part of Asia Minor
which was inhabited by the Phnni-
Clans. This last fact Is important. In
summer, the only season in which the
ancients were able to navigate their
ships with safety, the prevailing wind
is one from the northeast. This being
the case, any one starting from the
Phnnician coast and sailing before the
wind, the usual custom in those days,
would come to Cyprus. The next stage
Of the journey would land them in
Crete and the last and longest would
reach Malta.
In those old, far away times Malta,
with its sister island Of Gozo, was in
habited by race Of Stone Age people
who possessed high state Of civiliza-
tion and culture. This is shown in the
wonderful. remains Of temples which
they left behind them. This old race
probably reached its highest state of
civilization around 300 B. c., and the
best of their buildings, still purely
Stone Age, were erected about that
time. The age of these has been de-
tcrmined by the types Of pottery found.
The pottery of the Stone Age is. on
the whole, very we'll made. Great care
seems to have been taken with the
more important pieces and the ma
terials used are Of fine nature.
In the Bronze and succeeding ages
the culture deteriorated. The pottery
Of that period is much rougher than
that Of the Stone Age and bears little,
if any, sign of having been ornamented
At the height of their civilization
there must have been a considerable
number Of ships coming to the islands
All the harbors of Malta are excellent
for small boats, while the two chief
are the finest natural ones in the
Mediterranean. It is possible that
many Of the prehistoric traders win
tered in the latter, as they are we'll
sheltered from the winds which blow
with great violence at that season of
the year. In the excavation of the diff
ferent temples great number of flint
knives have been found, and in the
immense ossuary Of the Hypogeum
many amulets were discovered of high
~ polished jade, or a stone closely re-
sembling it, also several statuettes Of
q kind of marble Or other hard stone
From the fact that there are no stones
corresponding to these, or, indeed, any
kind Of hard stone to be found in the
islands, it is evident that there must
have been some commerce or inter-
course with the mainland.
The Hal SaAieni Hypogeum is q
unique and most interesting monu-
nent. 1t is the only one that has been
found in the island, and nothing like
it has yet been discovered elsewhere
1t may be said to be one of the most
remarkable Of the Stone Age monu.
ments known. The Hypogeum is en-
tirely under ground and is followed
out of the solid rock. 1t consists of
several large rooms and many small
ones, situated on three different levels.
The large rooms are from seven to
twelve feet high and the lowest is