Decoding the megaliths

Abstract

The article focuses on Reuben Grima and his search for the meaning of Malta's ancient temples. Today with Heritage Malta, which oversees the country's archaeological and cultural assets, Grima is the curator for a number of the country's most important Late Neolithic (3600 to 2500 B.C.) temple sites, including the Megalithic Temples of Malta entry on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Grima's research is focused on understanding the megalithic sites; he is asking what factors prompted the early Maltese to build where they did. As with other megalithic structures, the Maltese temples are a magnet for those speculating about astronomical alignments. Grima has taken a different approach to decoding the temples, looking at their arrangement and decoration, and working on the assumption that they might reflect their builders' worldview. One observation he has made is that imagery related to the sea is found in some areas of the temples, while that related to the land is found elsewhere. So the temples may mirror the island cosmos of the Neolithic Maltese. Grima strongly believes that archaeological research has important social responsibilities.