Conservation of the ship graffiti at the Tarxien temples

Abstract

The Tarxien Temples are the most complex of all temples in Malta and date to the period 3150 to 2500 BC. They were discovered accidentally in 1914, were excavated by Dr (later Sir) Tomi Zammit from 1915 to 1917. These structures, together with those found at Hagar Qim, Mnajdra, Ggantija, Ta' Hagrat and Skorba, are the earliest free-standing stone monuments in the world and are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Tarxien Temple complex comprises four temple units linked by a square court. The first, or South Temple, is the most elaborately decorated temple, many of the large decorated blocks forming an inherent part of the site. This is also the area where the megaliths bearing the ship graffiti, the subject of this paper, are located (fig. 1).