The Hal-Saflieni Prehistoric Hypogeum
The Hal-Saflieni Prehistoric Hypogeum [Greek - ‘underground room’] near Paola, Malta, is a truly extraordinary structure. Dated to c. 2,500 BC [a sign by the main doorway says ‘Prehistoric’] it is contemporary with the Giza pyramids and the earliest stage of Stonehenge. This simply consisted of the Heel Stone, ditch and bank, two monoliths flanking the entrance, Aubrey Holes, and “possibly some wooden structure at the centre” [R.J.C. Atkinson]. By contrast the more sophisticated Hypogeum was built three stories deep with amazing precision, as the images attest. Like the controversial Eric von Daniken [Chariots of the Gods, etc] I also wonder how this subterranean complex could have been constructed using the ‘primitive’ technology ascribed to the Stone Age.
The Hypogeum’s imposing entrance [A] appears to be a ‘refined’ version of the one at Hasar Qim [B; c. 4,000 BC], and is comparable to the ‘false doors’ used in Egyptian tombs:
While visiting the Hypogeum von Daniken was told that the original entrance [“a stone slab with a square hole”], now sealed, “used to lie on a hill above the harbour.” What made the biggest impression on him, though, was the main chamber of the second level, some 11 m down:
“I could easily see that carving out the columns, niches and sections of the dome was a masterly achievement. The monoliths that form the niches rise from the floor without joints ... Like crossbeams ... more monoliths lie on them and they in turn are topped with monoliths ... curved into a dome.”
But who built the Hypogeum and why? Like Hasar Qim, Hal-Saflieni has been called a ‘temple’, and the Maltese believe it once housed an oracle, as at Delphos. Von Daniken tried out the astounding acoustics using what he called the “speaking mussel”, an oval feature cut into the rock. Cavities within the walls act like “an amplifier”, the sound resonating throughout the chamber and beyond. He cited the acoustics, together with the “first-class ventilation system”, as proof that the more ‘rudimentary’ upper level [E] and the other two stories were designed as a coherent scheme. The absence of inscriptions, however, means the identity of those responsible for this ‘grand plan’ remains a mystery.
Hypogeums not only served as ritual centres, but also as tombs. Think of the catacombs in Rome. In fact, when Hal-Saflieni was found in 1902, a gruesome discovery was made. In a cell on the lowest level [12 meters down] were a staggering 7000 skeletons! Myths tell how this room was used for “unwanted intruders, ... murdered enemies and for human sacrifice” [von Daniken].
