TAS-SILG˙: from prehistoric temple to Byzantine church

PLUS

CU

RR

EN

TWORLD

PLUS

DIGS • DISCOVERIES • TRAVEL • EXPLORATION

Current World Archaeology

Malta . Turkey . G

ermany . Egypt . Rom

an Mediterranean . N

amibia . Italy . C

rete

www.world-archaeology.com #59FEATURED

ExploringCappadocia

Into Turkey’s mysterious hinterlandInto Turkey’s mysterious hinterland

magazine

5,000 years of ritualThe changing face of worship at Tas Silg on Malta

Cologne undergroundRevealing a Roman gateway to the Rhine

Road to successHow did Rome conquer the commercial world?

June/July 2013 . Issue 59

EGYPT: MEDICINE & MAGIC VENICE: IN SEARCH OF ITS ORIGINS CRETE: MINOAN PALACES ZAHI HAWASS: IN HIS OWN WORDS

June/July 2013 • £4.50June/July 2013 • £4.50

.

EGYPT: MEDICINE & MAGIC VENICE: IN SEARCH OF ITS ORIGINS CRETE: MINOAN PALACES ZAHI HAWASS: IN HIS OWN WORDS

18 Issue 59CurrentWorldArChAeology

throughout the Phoenician, Punic, and Roman periods, but also one of the sites with the longest use on these islands.

Writers since the mid-17th century have speculated on the exact location of the temple. The remains of ancient walls are depicted in one of Jean-Pierre Houël’s 18th-century lithographs, but the site was not excavated until the 1930s. Even then investigation was limited to a number of trial trenches. It was another 30 years before the full extent of the site started to be understood, when an Italian Mission, led by Antonio Cagiano de Azevedo and Antonia Ciasca, was given permission to excavate. The Italian Mission excavated between 1963 and 1970, and again from the late 1990s up until 2012; meanwhile, the University of Malta carried out archaeological

Marcus Tullius Cicero introduces us to a temple on the small Mediterranean island of Malta in his prosecution

speech against Caius Verres, governor of Sicily between 73-71 BC, describing the significance of this remote sanctuary site:

Not far from the town, on a promontory, there stands the ancient Temple of Juno, so venerated that it has remained sacred and unviolated, not only during the Punic Wars which ravaged those places with their naval forces, but also in spite of these multitudinous pirates. … When one of King Massinissa’s fleets found itself in that place, the king’s admiral removed from the temple ivory tusks of incredible size. Taking them to Africa, he

gave them to Massinissa. At first the king liked this gift, but when he discovered where those tusks had come from, he immediately sent his trusted men in a quinquereme to put them back. … [In the sanctuary] there was also a large quantity of ivory, and a large number of ornaments amongst which was a carefully and supremely crafted ancient ivory [statue] of Victory.

Cicero may well be guilty of exaggeration – he was, after all, a lawyer in the course of prosecuting a former governor for his wrongdoings. However, the long seasons of excavations carried out on the site at Tas-Silg by the Missione Archeologica Italiana and the University of Malta have shown that the Temple of Juno was, indeed, not only a venerable temple

TAS-SILGFrom prehistoric temple to Byzantine church

For nearly 5,000 years, the sanctuary site at Tas-Silg. lured

worshippers to its idyllic island setting overlooking the blue waters of the Mediterranean, evolving and adapting as new religions emerged. Now, 20 years of archaeological research is bringing this long forgotten but once influential religious centre back into the limelight, as David Cardona reveals.

Birz.ebbug

.a

Marsaxlokk

ZejtunWied il-Ghajn

St Thomas Bay

All

iMAg

eS: D

avid

Car

dona

, unl

ess o

ther

wise

stat

ed

M A L T A

M e d i te r ra n e a n S e a

TAS-SILG.

M A L T A

G O Z OC O M I N O

T A S -S I L G

.

Borg.

in-Nadur

H−al G.

inwi

Xrobb l-Ghag

.in

www.world-archaeology.com 19CurrentWorldArChAeology

investigation in the southern section. Together, these seasons have uncovered a succession of structures quite unlike anything seen elsewhere on the island.

In the beginningThe story of this site starts during Malta’s Temple Period, when a Tarxien Phase

(c.3100-2500 BC) megalithic temple was built on the hill now known as Tas-Silg, midway between St Thomas Bay and Marsaxlokk harbour. There are many remains of free-standing, prehistoric megalithic temples on Malta, and the one at Tas-Silg did not stand alone in the area. It was possibly within sight of a temple at Borg in-Nadur in Birz.ebbuga and another at Xrobb l-Ghagin, and very close to prehistoric remains recorded at Ħal Ginwi (see map opposite).

Until only a few years ago, it was believed that the temple at Tas-Silg was relatively modest in size, consisting of at least four apses that were enclosed within the usual elliptical outer wall and a concave façade. However, excavations recently published by the Italian Mission reveal that this smaller temple actually formed part of a much larger and more complex conglomeration of structures that include the remains of at least two more.

mALTA

iMAg

e: H

erita

ge M

alta

ABOve A site plan showing the different phases of use at Tas-Silg. .

Prehistoric period: 3000-2500 BC

Phoenician period: late 9th-6th centuries

6th-5th centuries BCPunic: 4th-2nd centuries BC

Roman period: 1st century BC-AD 4th century

Byzantine period: AD 5th-6th centuries


one. Recent excavations have recovered numerous broken shells, pieces of ceramic ‘anchors’, and weights in several parts of the building, all of which seem to show major exploitation of marine resources.

Juno’s templeIt was not until the early Phoenician period, in about the last quarter of the 8th century BC, that the site once again became the focus of religious ceremonies. It remained a place of worship with no significant interruption from this point on until at least the Late Roman period. Once again, Tas-Silg demonstrates its uniqueness, being the only known example of a prehistoric structure on Malta that was used by the Phoenicians for their own religious needs.

Perhaps this is not so strange when one considers the prime location that the temple occupied. Nearby Marsaxlokk was one of the best sheltered harbours to the south of Malta until the development of those around Valletta in the 16th century AD; and the location of the site at the top of the hill overlooking the harbour would have created a landmark, one that sailors coming in and out of the harbour could easily see and recognise.

the same name as the nearby site of Borg in-Nadur (1500-700 BC) took over the old buildings. The use of the temple during this phase shifted from a religious purpose to what seems to have been a domestic

Size does matter, but the increasing importance of this prehistoric temple cluster is also being gauged by significant new information recovered during excavations. Some features are unique to this site, such as, for example, the stairs constructed along the outer wall of the first temple. Another peculiarity is the rectilinear layout: until now, prehistoric structures found on Malta were all predominantly round in shape. Pieces of clay and daub with impressions of wooden beams may also start to throw some light on the ongoing debate about how these temples were roofed.

But the best known artefact from this period of occupation remains that of the fat figure, commonly known as ‘the fat lady’ – though whether such figures are male or female is often not clear. One of these was found carved in high relief during the first phases of excavation, though it had been severely damaged by ploughing. It remains, however, the second largest to be found on Malta, and is a relic of the period that started the occupation of a site that was to last for another four millennia.

The Temple Period comes to an abrupt end at around 2500 BC and, like every other prehistoric structure on the Maltese islands, the temple at Tas-Silg was abandoned.

It remained unused until the Bronze Age, when a culture bearing

ABOve The remains of one prehistoric temple were incorporated into the new Temple of Ashtart during the Phoenician use of the site. The horseshoe plan of this temple is still visible today in the eastern end. Recent excavations to the north of the temple show that the prehistoric activity in the area was not limited to this small temple, but consisted of at least another two temples.

LefT Together with the megalithic temples, the fat figure stands as an icon of Maltese prehistory. Although commonly known as a ‘fat lady’, the sex of such figures is usually impossible to ascertain.

These statues have also been at the centre of studies claiming a matrilineal society, and are often regarded

as portraying the ‘Mother goddess’. The one found at Tas-Silg. is heavily damaged, but is still the second

largest one to be found on the island.

iMAg

e: D

anie

l Cilia

Tas-Silg. is the

only prehistoric structure on Malta to be used by the Phoenicians for their own religious needs.

architectural reference. The recovery of fragments of Corinthian capitals during excavation suggest that some Corinthian elements were used to flank important entrances. However, the mixture of architectural and decorative designs went beyond the use of different Classical styles.

Two pieces of an Egyptian-style frieze were revealed, believed by both the members of the Italian Mission and Prof. Anthony Bonanno of Malta to belong to this period. However, the Punic cornice continues to be used for some time alongside later Classical decoration. This trend is also reflected in domestic architecture on the island: Roman houses rarely made use of any of the Classical styles other than the Doric, and most


mALTA

double-Egyptian gorge capitals. An altar was erected at the centre of the forecourt and a sacellum was probably also built into the west of the entrance.

The temple complex underwent a long process of restructuring and monumentalisation, and the remains visible today date mostly to a regeneration programme during the 2nd and 1st centuries BC. The result was a temple reminiscent of the Hellenistic form, but which still incorporated important traditional – or old-fashioned – styles. With these phases of restructuring, the prehistoric temple was incorporated into a rectilinear structure, and saw the addition of a large courtyard surrounded by a colonnaded portico using the Doric style as its main

Whether it was location or lack of financial resources, the incorporation of part of the prehistoric temple within the new Phoenician temple of Ashtart is usually seen as an effort by the new settlers to bond their religious beliefs and practices with both the island’s past and its indigenous inhabitants. Thus, the home of the new goddess incorporated part of the ancient structure that was to remain the focal point of the temple right up to the Christian use of the site centuries later.

An extension was added to the curved façade of this new temple structure to create a larger forecourt closed off by two return walls. A grand entrance was built, framed by two pillars capped by two

ABOve The Phoenician additions to the prehistoric temple included a wide entrance arrangement flanked by two pilasters capped by double-egyptian gorge capitals. The egyptianising gorge – also referred to as ‘Punic cornice’ – was extensively used in religious and domestic architecture throughout the island, and up to well within the Roman period.rIGHT At the centre of the small forecourt created in the Phoenician period was an altar. Only the bottom section has survived beneath the stone paving of the later central courtyard.

BeLOW LefT The Hellenistic and Roman reconstructions of the temple used the Doric architectural style. it was all carved out of the local globigerina limestone. Fragments show that the Corinthian style was used to a much lesser extent, probably to flank the entrances and important sections of the temple. MIDDLe There are no natural resources of marble on Malta. Architectural decoration of the temple was mainly carved from local stone. Certain parts of the decorative schemes were, however, done with fine plaster. This fragment of egg-and-dart was moulded into fine lime and marble dust.rIGHT Although changed to Hellenistic tastes, the temple still included elements of traditional architectural decoration. This is best seen in the miniature antae, the pilasters of which show both elements of the Classical orders and the Punic gorge.

iMAg

e: D

anie

l Cilia

have cornices that are reminiscent of the Punic cornice, perhaps showing a sense of tradition that endured well into the Roman period.

Traditionalism is certainly seen in this temple, not only through the architectural motifs, but also in the effort through the centuries to use the fabric of the prehistoric temple as the cella of the religious structure. The remains of this first temple remained the focal point of this place of worship, whether the god was the ‘fat figure’, Ashtart, Tanit, or Hera – all of whom were worshipped here at one point or another.

The temple seems to have lost importance during the course of the Roman period to such an extent that no major reconstruction or renovation occurs. The temple thus retained the same architectural model until its next major phase of use during the Byzantine Period.

was used as a baptistery, and the small baptismal basin can still be seen today.

Sadly, the information recovered from this period of use is not as extensive as for the other periods, but the church, or at least its structure, seems to have still been used until the 8th or 9th centuries AD. At this point, a fortified wall equipped with at least one tower seems to have been built around part of the site – possibly in response to Arab reprisals that were going on in this part of the world at the time.

The religious use of this temple came to an end during the Medieval period. As with most other sites on Malta and Gozo, once the temple was abandoned it was ‘quarried’, with much of the stone being removed for reuse as building material – indeed, the large number of robber trenches excavated by archaeologists demonstrates the great lengths to which people went to retrieve the stone blocks.

The temple was replaced by at least one farm building, and the whole area was turned over to agriculture. It remained as farmland until 1963, when excavations began. But the religious connection endures: the site gets its name from a church that lies about 100m (330ft) south of the old temple foundations, and which stands on the site of an earlier chapel built in 1650. The church is called Our Lady of the Snows, or, in Maltese, Madonna ta’ Tas-Silg.


Same temple, new godBetween the late 5th and early 6th centuries AD, the temple was transformed into a Christian basilica, and much of the Classical structure abandoned. The basilica was constructed in the space previously occupied by the large porticoed courtyard. It is not clear whether any of the Classical temple was still standing, but the fact that the outer walls were built directly on the inner line of columns of the portico seems to suggest that something had survived.

The courtyard, which was now roofed over to create a square building, was divided into three naves with an apse at the eastern end. The prehistoric structure, so important in all the previous phases of the temple, was not abandoned but

ABOve This left ear, carved in ivory, is all that has been discovered of a life-sized statue. Could this be what remains of the statue of the goddess?ABOve rIGHT in the Byzantine period, a baptismal font was dug at the centre of the surviving prehistoric structures. During this phase, the focus of religious activities was transferred to the church built within the courtyard of the Hellenistic temple.

iMAg

eS: D

anie

l Cilia

As with most other sites on Malta and Gozo, once the temple was abandoned it was ‘quarried’.


Gifts for the godsIs the great splendour of the site, so vividly described by Cicero, actually reflected in the archaeological record? The quantity of burnt material, pots, and refuse recovered in one of the areas to the south of the main complex by the University of Malta, as well as the finds from the altars to the north, all demonstrate an abundance offerings.

Most would have been gifts of food, sometimes presented in pots and ceramic containers inscribed with a dedication to a god. Many have dedications to Ashtart, Tanit, and Hera, depending on the period to which they belong. Nearly all seem to have been made locally, possibly in a workshop producing containers specifically for this temple. However, fragments of imported red-figure and black-figure ware were also found, though

mALTA

it is unclear whether these were to hold offerings, or whether they were intended as offerings in themselves.

A considerable amount of jewellery was found around the site. Most consists of simple, plain loop earrings, or rings made of bronze and copper alloys; but there are also a number of Egyptian-style amulets, pendants, and figurines. These rare objects, made of imported stone or glass paste, were probably brought to the island via trading networks, for which the

ABOve Amulets were recovered in good numbers during excavations. The ones shown here were recovered by the excavations of the University of Malta, and include an udjat eye, a baboon, and various scarabs, all of non-local material.

ABOve Numerous ceramic containers recovered from the site are incised with full dedications to a god or abbreviations. These are all of local workmanship, and were possibly done in a workshop close within or just outside the temple precinct.TOp rIGHT This fine bronze pendant of Horus, found in the temple, is evidence of the close trading connection the Phoenicians on Malta had with egypt.

iMAg

e: p

rof.

Ant

hony

Bon

anno

/ f

onda

zzjo

ni p

atrim

onju

Mal

ti

ABOve inscriptions are not only found on ceramics and on ivory plaques, but were also carved into architectural elements, such as the Neo-Punic inscription shown here.


Although few artefacts associated with the Byzantine church have been found, when the drain under the baptismal font was cleaned recently, a total of 276 coins – including one gold – were recovered. The coins range in date from the mid-4th century AD to 538-539, when the Byzantine emperor Justinian I was instigating his judicial reforms. Had they fallen from the hands or pockets of those attending baptisms here throughout the centuries? Or were they deliberately thrown in for luck? We will never know. But they remain testimony to the last few centuries of worship at Tas-Silg, worship that had begun so many millennia before.

Phoenicians were famous. Rarer still are the objects made of gold: these are few in number but – like the exquisite small golden pendant and chain illustrated above – demonstrate skilled workmanship.

Some supplicants also recorded their offering or submitted a dedication through inscriptions. The excavations by the Italian Mission have recovered various fragments of Neo-Punic inscriptions on thin ivory plaques, and a couple of architectural elements in local stone.

Recent excavations have revealed another inscribed piece of stone that seems to be completely out of place in the Maltese contexts: seven lines of cuneiform script were inscribed onto a small fragment of agate that originally may have formed a small lunette. It is dated to about 1330-1230 BC, and records an offering by a group of Babylonians to their god. These dates and the type of inscription suggest it was almost certainly not intended for this temple, but instead had been passed through many hands, traded between sailors and merchants, before eventually ending up here.

SourCe Dr David Cardona is curator for Phoenician, Roman and Medieval sites with Heritage Malta, and director of excavations at the ghajn Tuffieha Roman Baths, St Augustine’s Catacombs, and St Paul’s Catacombs on Malta.

FURTHER INFORMATIONThe site, which is under the care of Heritage Malta, is closed to the general public until the numerous conservation issues that a site of this magnitude presents are addressed. However, special visits may be organised on request. See www.heritagemalta.org for details.

ABOve Found beneath the drain of the baptismal font: 276 coins, dated to between the mid-4th century and Justinian the great’s reforms of AD 538-539. Among them was a single solid gold coin – a tremis of the emperor Constantine iV.

ABOve Dated to between 1330 and 1230 BC, the cuneiform inscription on this fragment of agate records the votive offering of a group of Babylonian men to one of their divinities. The dating is too early for it to have been originally intended for the temple of Tas-Silg

.. it is more likely that it arrived at the temple

through trade exchanges at a much later date.

iMAg

e: S

uper

inte

nden

ce o

f Cul

tura

l Her

itage

iMAg

e: D

anie

l Cilia

BeLOW Tas-Silg. has a long succession of temples, including the remains of structures built for ritual practice by the prehistoric people of the Maltese Temple Period. later came the Phoenicians, Punics, Romans, and early Christians. There is also evidence here of domestic use of the buildings in the Bronze Age and, much later, during the Medieval period. After this, the entire site was divided into shallow fields and used for farming until extensive excavations commenced in 1963, uncovering the remains of a site occupied for millennia.

iMAg

e: N

atio

nal M

useu

m o

f Arc

haeo

logy

, Her

itage

Mal

ta

TAS-SILG˙: from prehistoric temple to Byzantine church

Documents

Transcript of TAS-SILG˙: from prehistoric temple to Byzantine church