Temples of Tarxien, Island of Malta
The Temples of Tarxien, date back from 3, 600 B. C. to 2, 800 B. C. These temples are renowned for the detail of their carvings, which include domestic animals carved in relief, altars, and screens decorated with spiral designs and other patterns.
The temples where excavated by the father of archaeology of Malta , Sir Temi Zammit in the beginning of the 20th century and are considered as being the first to be excavated in a scientific method. Most of the original artifacts excavated from the site, today are at The National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta.
Excavation of the site reveals that it was used extensively for rituals, which probably involved animal sacrifice. Especially interesting is that Tarxien provides rare insight into how the megaliths were constructed: stone rollers were left outside the South temple. Additionally, evidence of cremation has been found at the center of the South temple, which is an indicator that the site was reused as a Bronze Age cremation cemetery.