A fresh look at Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra temples

Abstract

Our megalithic temples relate many stories. The stories that intrigue us most are those that tell us about their beginnings, their construction, use and development in prehistory. However, they do provide evidence for a different story, that which starts with their discovery by modem society. During this part of their lifespan these monuments are not only studied and analysed by scholars trying to identify their origins, but are also restored and reconstructed, thus undergoing physical changes which are not always immediately evident. Numerous restoration and conservation interventions have taken place at both Magar Qim and Mnajdra. Records of only a few of these interventions have been kept, and in some cases even this documentation is missing from our archives. It is in fact the actual visual examination of the remains, as well as the examination of photographic and pictorial evidence, that allows for their identification. This factor often makes it difficult to attribute a date to these interventions and to identify the methods and materials that were used.