Tarxien Cemetery culture
Quick Summary
The Tarxien Cemetery culture was a civilization in Malta that emerged around 2000 BCE, replacing an earlier Neolithic culture. This new civilization was characterized by its use of metal and a practice of cremation burial rites.1
The Tarxien area itself is known for a complex of three Neolithic temples, which were discovered in 1913 and excavated in the following years. These temples, though of different ages, share a similar architectural plan. The Neolithic period in Malta also saw the development of elaborate burial chambers, including the unique underground hypogeum at Ħal Saflieni, a UNESCO World Heritage site.21
The Tarxien Cemetery culture eventually gave way to the BorÄ” In-Nadur people around 1450 BCE. Evidence from Tarxien suggests a new people arrived, causing destruction and establishing cremation burial grounds, with some terra-cotta idols resembling those from Cyprus, though the culture rapidly declined.13
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