Book Description

Originally thought to be a Christian catacomb when it was first discovered in 1902, the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum turned out to be a cemetery many centuries older. This book offers a concise history of the discovery and excavation of the site near Casal Paola on Malta, set within the context of prehistoric death cults and collective burial practices on this and neighbouring islands. Now a UNESCO World Heritage site, the site is know to date back to at least 4000BC, probably earlier, and was in use over many centuries with various phases of elaboration and expansion. The many colour photographs present a vivid picture of the interior entranceways and underground caves, as well as finds from the excavations including pottery, figurine and red ochre wall paintings.