Malta's National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta
The National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta (NMAV) takes visitors through Malta’s rich history and prehistory. Using the impressive Auberge de Provence, which was once a hotel for one faction of the Knights of St. John, the NMAV starts with Malta’s prehistory.
The temples in Malta are the oldest freestanding buildings in the world. Built about a thousand years before the pyramids, no one knows what happened to the builders. The artifacts that they left behind include Malta’s own Sleeping Lady. A reclining lady on a bed that bends under her weight, the Sleeping Lady is noted for her delicate features and her small size.
The Bronze Age brought the conquerors of the Mediterranean to the island. By the time they arrived, Malta lacked wild animals. In sculptures, men are represented as spear and shields while women are represented as battle axes.
The NMAV also has a replica of “cart ruts.” However, no one really knows what made the marks in stones. They go in many directions crossing each other and do not always move downhill. The ruts are similar to those found in Peru and China, and one theory is that they are a map of the sky on the ground.
The Phoenicians also left their mark on Malta with one even bringing over an Egyptian sarcophagus. Perhaps the most impressive piece in the Phoenician portion of the exhibit is also the smallest – a parchment that contains portions of a poem about death that was rolled up in a tiny glass bottle. The NMAV is still working on the Roman portion of the museum.
The temples in Malta are the oldest freestanding buildings in the world. Built about a thousand years before the pyramids, no one knows what happened to the builders. The artifacts that they left behind include Malta’s own Sleeping Lady. A reclining lady on a bed that bends under her weight, the Sleeping Lady is noted for her delicate features and her small size.
The Bronze Age brought the conquerors of the Mediterranean to the island. By the time they arrived, Malta lacked wild animals. In sculptures, men are represented as spear and shields while women are represented as battle axes.
The NMAV also has a replica of “cart ruts.” However, no one really knows what made the marks in stones. They go in many directions crossing each other and do not always move downhill. The ruts are similar to those found in Peru and China, and one theory is that they are a map of the sky on the ground.
The Phoenicians also left their mark on Malta with one even bringing over an Egyptian sarcophagus. Perhaps the most impressive piece in the Phoenician portion of the exhibit is also the smallest – a parchment that contains portions of a poem about death that was rolled up in a tiny glass bottle. The NMAV is still working on the Roman portion of the museum.