How it began
The Hypogeum lies on a hill in Paola, overlooking the inner Grand Harbour, in present-day Malta. It was made by the same prehistoric culture that built the Maltese megalithic temples. UNESCO states that it was in use through the Żebbuġ, Ġgantija and Tarxien phases of Maltese prehistory, from about 4000 BCE to 2500 BCE. The uppermost level is the oldest, scooped out of the brow of the hill, and the users dug deeper as space ran out. The builders are unnamed.
How it works
The complex is three superimposed levels of halls, chambers and passages cut into soft globigerina limestone. According to UNESCO, the cutting was done only with chert, flint and obsidian tools and antlers. The lowest room lies 10.6 meters below the present ground level. Some chambers copy the above-ground temples in solid rock, with false bays modeled on trilithon doorways and ceilings carved in overhanging rings to imitate a corbelled roof. Walls and ceilings carry spiral and honeycomb designs in red ochre.
What changed first
The site appears to have been conceived as an underground cemetery and originally held the remains of about 7,000 individuals. Bodies were probably left until the flesh decomposed, and the bones were then gathered and buried in the chambers with red ochre. Excavation yielded pottery, personal ornaments, small carved animals and stone and clay human figurines.
What lasted
UNESCO describes it as the only known European example of a subterranean labyrinth from this period and one of the best preserved and most extensive environments to survive from the Neolithic. Because it copies temple interiors in rock, it preserves details such as corbelled roofing that survive only in fragments above ground. Its red ochre decorations are the only prehistoric wall paintings found on the Maltese Islands.
Where it stands today
A stone mason found the site by accident in 1902 while laying foundations for houses, and the upper level was damaged before it was reported. It became public property in 1903 and excavation continued to 1911. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site managed by Heritage Malta, with limited visitor numbers. It covers about 500 square meters and reopened after conservation work in 2017.
