To learn more about prehistoric Malta and to see many of the artifacts discovered in the country’s ancient and sacred sites, visit the National Museum of Archaeology.
The museum, housed in the Auberge de Provence (former home of the Knights of Saint John originating from Provence, France), contains an intriguing collection of artifacts from the Neolithic (5000 B.C.) to the Phoenician (400 B.C.) periods.
Among the objects on display, you’ll see:
Models of the Neolithic temples and hypogea;
Tools, implements, blades, and weapons of bone, stone, and bronze, including awls, axe heads, and flat daggers discovered at the Tarxien Temples;
A funnel, several pumice stones, spindle whorls, and weights;
A collection of pottery, among which are:
Fragments of stylized figurines;
Sherds,
one of which is decorated with an engraving of a solar wheel;
Amphorae;
Bowls, including one uniquely decorated with dots;
Plates;
A variety of jugs and jars;
Pots and urns;
And even a decorated jewelry box lid;
A handstone and quern for grinding grains;
Stones with carvings of celestial markings
And faces;
Altars and stone blocks with reliefs of spirals, waves, and animals;
Fashion accessories, jewelry and ornaments, such as:
Figurines of birds,
And necklaces fashioned from shell and or stone;
A stele of limestone with Phoenician inscription;
A Phoenician terracotta coffin;
A number of statues (including several corpulent human figures) among which are:
Crude female figurines of clay and limestone discovered at the Skorba Temples,
A figure laying face down and
The exquisitely detailed Sleeping Lady, both from the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum,
The voluptuous Venus of Malta from the Ħaġar Qim Temples,
A seated figure,
And a fragment of a colossal skirted figure.
The museum also houses the National Numismatic Collection, which boasts an extensive collection of coins and medals (over 16,000 items), among which are some associated with the Order of Saint John and other more ancient coins dating back to the 5th century B.C.
While you’re here, be sure to pop in to the Grand Salon, former meeting and banquet hall of the Knights of Malta, for quick look at the elegant decor.
Getting there:
The National Museum of Archaeology is located on Republic Street in Valletta.
Ticket info:
Adult Admission = 5.00€
Adult Admission (Ages 60 and Over) = 3.50€
Child Admission (Ages 12 – 17) = 3.50€
Child Admission (Ages 6 – 11) = 2.50€
Child Admission (Ages 1 – 5) = Free
Summary
Reviewer
Mike Young
Review Date
Reviewed Item
Malta National Museum of Archaeology
Author Rating