Malta 4 of 9

The building that the National Museum of Archaeology occupies was built in 1571 for the Provençal Knight's of St. John. The Knights were noblemen from them most important families of Europe. This building was the most advanced design of the finest Baroque building style that was all the rage in Europe at the time. The Knights mission was to protect the Catholic faith and Europe from the attacks of the Ottaman Turks. The Grand Saloon which we visited on the second floor was being restored by experts in cleaning years of open-fire smoke stains from the once richly-painted walls and massive wooden beam ceiling. The ceiling was decorated with carved design panels laid between each beam. The room is considered one of the noblest rooms in Malta because of its size, history and decorations. Today it is used  as a banquetting hall and for holding their business discussions. Even though restoration work is still in progress we were able to appreciate this unique bit of history. I trust the photograph does it justice as the only lighting in the room came from the experts' scaffolding spotlight and the natural light from the huge windows.

The archaeological displays that filled the many other large rooms in Malta's impressive National Museum of Archaeology included an overview of artifacts of Prehistory and early history relics, found on Maltese islands.

We marvelled at primitive tools made from bone, stone and wood.  The huge number of pottery urns, vases and utensils of various sizes and designs that have been unearthed in perfect condition was amazing. This is because many of the pottery artifacts were buried in tombs with the bodies of the deceased and thus were well preserved.

The intricate collection of jewellery created from pebbles, limestone,  shells and animal hair was  exquisite to see.

There were many examples of stone carvings as far back as 5000-2500 BC where people creatively expressed the appreciation of the world around them on monuments and edifices. One that we found remarkable was an animal-frieze motive design carved on stone with ancient tools. The deer design was sharp and distinct as if carved out yesterday.

In the Bronze Age sections the bronze dagger with a bone handle took our attention and showed how people adapted to new materials when producing craftwork and tools. 

The Phoenician Period (8th-6th century BC) highlighted the fact that trade with Egypt influenced life on Malta. The adult-size terracotta sarcophagus on display in the museum was unearthed in Malta. It replicated the way that Egyptians had buried their important people for thousands of years. Whether this sarcophagus was imported or copied from Egypt is not known but it does indicate that Maltese people traded with other nations. The Phoenicians buried their dead in a variety of coffins with lids and  fashioned in wood, terracotta, marble or stone. They often shaped the casket like a human figure, a pharaonic Egyptian practice which the Phoenicians either replicate or brought over from Egypt.

We spent about 90 minutes in this museum, learning much about the ancient relics of Malta. We found it hard to get our heads around the age of the artifacts on display and to try to imagine what life would have been like way, way back then.