Page 430 Maltese stone by Damjan Hidic University of Ljubljana July 2009 ABSTRACT Malta Summer School is an event prepared by the Belgian organisation Xpeditions, which operates in the field of anthropological research. The heads of the project are Marc Vanlangendonck and Sam Janssen. The purpose of the event is to research areas connected with anthropology in a place where the group lives for a certain period. The rich history of Malta testifies that over the centuries, or rather millennia, it has played an important strategic role as a defensible point in the middle of the Mediterrannean. The remains of the Ggantija Temples can be seen today on the island of Gozo, which have a specific place in the development of the earliest sacral architecture. The underground temples and tombs hold a special place. The next important period is the Renaissance. Valetta is one of the most important Renaissance towns, which, according to tradition, was planned in a mere six days. This period was followed by the Baroque. A well-known name from that time is Count Giovanni Battista Vertova, who was a mathematician and military engineer. Contemporary architecture provides the last framework. Here it is worth mentioning as a curiosity the production of modular stone in quarries in a way that is characteristic only for this area. In addition to new buildings, vernacular architecture must also be mentioned, to which belong girnas or shelters, hides for bird hunters, beehives in walls, wells etc. ARTICLE INFO Introduction Malta Summer School is an event prepared by the Belgian organisation Xpeditions, which operates in the field of anthropological research. The heads of the project are Marc Vanlangendonck and Sam Janssen, and other Keywords members also take part. The aim of the event is to work in the field of anthropology in a relaxed atmosphere. This OMERTAA 2009 Malta, Gozo, stone, temple, vernacular architecture, arch, means, as well as excellent company, high temperatures, JOURNAL OF APPLIED ANTHROPOLOGY corbelling, Baroque, Renaissance, quarry good food, attractive beaches and friendly locals. The Maltese islands lie in at the apparent junction of can be found that links the people on this island and is an Page 431 the European and African continents, one hundred integral part of the cultural heritage. This is the material kilometres from Sicily and approximately three hundred from which they build; something unique, which seems from the shores of Africa. It seems that without today’s inexhaustable for use on the island itself and which creates political division it would be difficult to decide to which the same colour of panoramic appearance through all major cultural space it depends. However, its rich history periods. It is a rock of sedimentary origin, which is simple eloquently testifies that over the centuries, or rather to work, sufficiently hard and pleasant to the touch. Two millennia, it has played an important strategic role as types of limestone are mainly used. The first is called a defensive point in the middle of the Mediterrannean Globerigina Limestone, and the other Lower Coralline Sea. It would have provided a strong fortress for military Limestone. The subject of research is the use of this local conquerors who tried to advance into Europe and control stone for various types of architectural object on the island of both the sea and the air space by southern Italy. Knights of Gozo. The field is very wide, whence also the division at the time of the Crusades relied on it in the same way, into three chapters, which, both chronologically and in when they advanced from there towards Jerusalem. The terms of the characteristics of building, embrace the most Maltese Order of Knights or the Knights of St. John, which characteristic features of builders of specific types of object was founded in 1080, has left a very strong symbolic at specific periods. First is described the original use of the Figure 1: Texture created in stone after a certain time stamp, which is still in general use today. It is the Maltese stone in monoliths for the construction of shrines around because of external influences. Cross, which is found on the majority of coats-of-arms three thousand years BC, then the use of the stone in the and even on the official flag of this state. The influence of Baroque, which represented the strongest style on the the knightly order is reflected in the fact that the island island, the stamp of which is still visible today and, finally, is still today covered with churches, chapels and, not the contemporary use of the stone, which is similarly least, it also has a number of cathedrals, which are huge specific for the mentioned area. With the latter is described building complexes with encircling walls. The event that the »life of the stone« - from the quarry to an honourable marks their last important victory occurred in 1565. After place in a wall, and finally ruin. Figure 2: Method of transporting megalithic stones in the a famous »great seige« they succeeded, with a considerably Neolithic. smaller army, to defend the island from the Turks. They Neolithic architecture suffered considerable losses and a great many buildings were destroyed and burnt. Despite the small likelihood of Any material that has been newly discovered as suitable victory, the Maltse restored the walls and buildings and for use, was first used for enriching the spiritual level – had gradually to strengthen them. thus for expressing culture. In addition to painting and On hearing the Maltese language, it is not difficult to sculptural work, the production of jewelry also belongs recognise that it is reminiscent of Arabic. At the transitional here. In the second phase, people devoted themselves to period before Christ, from which there is similarly preserved making tools and weapons, and only as a third did the an unbelievable large number of remains of temples and building of objects have its turn. With objects, there was tombs for such a small area, the former prevailing influence similarly a distinction between for the most part functional of Europe was replaced, or at least mixed, with influences creations – those that provided a roof over their heads – from the Arabic countries. This was also reflected in the and those which, in addition, contain a deeper meaning architecture. The defences against the Turks and pirates for a particular community. It is difficult to talk about dictated the construction of strategically planned towns, temporal priorities, but a difference is certainly noticeable Figure 3: The development of the groundplan of Neolithic encircling walls and observation towers. A leap in time in the very dimensions of these objects. The remains of temples took place in five phases. brings us to 1800, when Malta became a British colony and, megalithic temples on Malta clearly illustrate a case of the approximately 140 years later, when it entered the Second latter. World War. The island was heavily bombed from all sides. They were created in the Neolithic. Their main construction The Germans tried to build a base for their fleet, and the elements are megaliths – stones of massive dimensions British defended »their« territory. The local population in one piece, such as is difficult to imagine for use in profited least from this, since a great deal of damage was construction today. Because they represented a major task Figure 4: Photograph of a model of the temple of Ggantija done under the pressure of bombing from the air. Certainly to transport and erect in the desired place, there had to be from The Museum of Archaeology in Victoria - Gozo. the events around colonisation also brought new culture at least some sufficiently serious reason for their use. One and so many Maltese today speak English. is certainly that it was a sacral object and something that Through all these turning points, from prehistory to OMERTAA 2009 is superhuman deserves a building that man cannot build. JOURNAL OF APPLIED ANTHROPOLOGY today, and in all likelihood also tomorrow, something Considerable organisation of work was required to erect the stone blocks, which could measure up to six metres in of limestone are used as material – Globegirina Limestone Page 432 length and werigh several thousand tons. In view of the in the interior part and Lower Coralline Limestone for the fact that such things were built in ancient Egypt, here too, exterior. they probably used »machines from people«. Archeological Some common denominators can be extracted from all finds there have included among other things small round the temples that have been preserved, which represent stones, which probably served as bearings for reducing the the characteristics of this kind of building. The first is friction during transport. Metal tools were unknown at that the temples consist of two basic elements: an oval that time. [Museum of Archaeology - Victoria, Gozo] courtyard in front of the entrance and at least a partially The technique of construction, therefore, is based on covered structure in the shape of a D with massive Figure 5: Schematic presentation of the ratio between a megaliths, and the intermediate space between them was external walls and a centrally erected entrance. Concavity man and a megalith from Ggantija temple. packed with smaller stones and rubble. The principle of is characteristic of the facade; so that it opens against construction is similar as with the Cyclops walls from the flank of a hill towards the south or southeast and the Mesopotamia – larger stones with rubble in the role of centrally positioned entrance has a rectangular shape. binding. This binding greatly differed from todays in its The development of temples that led to a shape such as properties.