Tarxien Cemetery phase
Encyclopedia
The transition from the Tarxien phase
to the Tarxien Cemetery culture (2500-1500 BCE) is theorized to have begun circa 2000 BCE. All traces of Malta
's temple builders
were lost around 1800 BCE. The Tarxien Cemetery culture evolved into the Borġ in-Nadur phase (1400-800 BCE).
inhabitants on the site of the Tarxien Temples
. This new culture is typified by the use of metal implements and the construction dolmen
s and eventually, rock-cut tomb
s. Tarxien Cemetery Ware is pebble-burnished and angular in shape, decoration is by incision. Stylized clay figures and awls were also discovered. English
archaeologist John Evans
documented affinities between the Taxien Cemetery material culture and the Castelluccio
culture of southeastern Sicily
. Burials at this time are, for the most part, inurned cremations; urns have been excavated accompanied by flat axes, bronze daggers and other grave-goods.
Tarxien phase
The Tarxien phase followed the Saflieni phase and typifies the last and most advanced period of temple building in prehistoric Malta...
to the Tarxien Cemetery culture (2500-1500 BCE) is theorized to have begun circa 2000 BCE. All traces of Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
's temple builders
Megalithic Temples of Malta
The Megalithic Temples of Malta are a series of prehistoric monuments in Malta of which seven are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Archaeologists believe that these megalithic complexes are the result of local innovations in a process of cultural evolution...
were lost around 1800 BCE. The Tarxien Cemetery culture evolved into the Borġ in-Nadur phase (1400-800 BCE).
Cemetery Culture Overview
This phase is named after the graves built by new Bronze AgeBronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
inhabitants on the site of the Tarxien Temples
Tarxien Temples
The Tarxien Temples are an archaeological complex in Tarxien, Malta. They date back to approximately 2800 BC. The site was accepted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980 along with the other Megalithic temples on the island of Malta.-Description:...
. This new culture is typified by the use of metal implements and the construction dolmen
Dolmen
A dolmen—also known as a portal tomb, portal grave, dolmain , cromlech , anta , Hünengrab/Hünenbett , Adamra , Ispun , Hunebed , dös , goindol or quoit—is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of...
s and eventually, rock-cut tomb
Tomb
A tomb is a repository for the remains of the dead. It is generally any structurally enclosed interment space or burial chamber, of varying sizes...
s. Tarxien Cemetery Ware is pebble-burnished and angular in shape, decoration is by incision. Stylized clay figures and awls were also discovered. English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
archaeologist John Evans
John Evans (archaeologist)
Sir John Evans, KCB, FRS was an English archaeologist and geologist.-Biography:John Evans was the son of the Rev. Dr A. B. Evans, headmaster of Market Bosworth Grammar School, and was born at Britwell Court, Buckinghamshire...
documented affinities between the Taxien Cemetery material culture and the Castelluccio
Castelluccio
Castelluccio is a village in Umbria, in the Apennine Mountains of central Italy. Administratively, it is a frazione of the ca. 28 km distant town Norcia. According to the 2001 census, it had close to 150 inhabitants.-Geography:...
culture of southeastern Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
. Burials at this time are, for the most part, inurned cremations; urns have been excavated accompanied by flat axes, bronze daggers and other grave-goods.