The Megalithic Temples of Malta: The History and Legacy of Europe’s Oldest Standing Structures
Written by Charles River Editors
Narrated by Colin Fluxman
()
About this audiobook
Malta’s history goes back further than many know, which can be attested to by the numerous Neolithic and Bronze Age era megaliths that dot the island of Malta proper as well as the island of Gozo to the north. Naturally, when European archaeologists began unearthing the megaliths of Malta in the 19th century, they did not know what to think, which led to a plethora of theories, many of them quite fantastic. At least 23 of these temples were uncovered, but because the people who built them lacked the knowledge of writing, speculation over who built them and why remained well into the 20th century (Rountree 2003, 26). Some people theorized that the Malta megaliths were built by a race of giants, while others believed that it was the center of a “Mother Earth” cult that later spread through Neolithic Europe.
Early archaeologists were also perplexed about the physical origins of the Maltese megalith builders. Because Malta is such an isolated location, the builders had to have migrated there from elsewhere, but debates raged over the location. Equally confusing was when the megaliths were built. Although most legitimate historians believed from an early time that they were Neolithic structures, some argued that they were built much later and influenced by the Minoans and/or the Mycenaeans.
Even as some answers have arrived, scholars still debate the purpose of the megaliths. Although there is a near consensus that they served as religious temples, the deities that were worshiped as well as the rituals carried out in the structures remain a mystery and sources of further debate. As such, the ancient monuments remain enigmatic and serve as sources of pride for the modern Maltese people and awe-inspiring to all those who visit them.
More audiobooks from Charles River Editors
Project MK-Ultra: The History of the CIA’s Controversial Human Experimentation Program Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ur: The History and Legacy of the Ancient Sumerian Capital Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Arnold Rothstein and Meyer Lansky: The Lives and Legacies of the Gangsters Who Reformed Organized Crime in America Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Rape of Nanking: The History and Legacy of the Notorious Massacre during the Second Sino-Japanese War Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The East India Company: The History of the British Empire's Most Famous Mercantile Company Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Gnosticism: The History and Legacy of the Mysterious Ancient Religion Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Denisovans: The History of the Extinct Archaic Humans Who Spread Across Asia during the Paleolithic Era Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Mossad: The History and Legacy of Israel’s National Intelligence Agency Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Legends of the West: Deadwood, South Dakota Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Nineveh: The History and Legacy of the Ancient Assyrian Capital Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Fermi Paradox: The History and Legacy of the Famous Debate over the Existence of Aliens Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Cambrian Period: The History and Legacy of the Start of Complex Life on Earth Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mysteries of the South: Ghosts, Legends, and Unexplained Phenomena in Dixie Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5J. Robert Oppenheimer: The Life and Legacy of the Father of the Atomic Bomb Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Life and Trial of Lizzie Borden: The History of 19th Century America's Most Famous Murder Case Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung: The Pioneering Lives and Works of History’s Most Influential Psychologists Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Book of the Dead: The History and Legacy of Ancient Egypt’s Famous Funerary Texts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Patrice Lumumba: The Life and Legacy of the Pan-African Politician Who Became Congo's First Prime Minister Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Madame de Pompadour: The Life and Legacy of French King Louis XV’s Chief Mistress Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Battle of the Somme: The History and Legacy of World War I’s Biggest Battle Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related to The Megalithic Temples of Malta
Related audiobooks
The World’s Most Famous Megaliths: The History of Göbekli Tepe, Stonehenge, and the Megalithic Temples of Malta Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCracking the Code: Unraveling the Secrets of Lost Civilizations Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFrom Troy to Constantinople Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5History Revealed: The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: Episode 12 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsUmma: The History and Legacy of the Ancient Sumerian City Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Minoan, Rise and Fall: A Legacy of Myths, Elaborate Art, and Advanced Bronze Age Civilization in the Aegean Sea Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Greek Dark Ages and Greek Renaissance: The History and Legacy of the Bronze Age Transition to Archaic Greece Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAncient Alexandria: The History and Legacy of Egypt's Most Famous City Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Battle of Edgehill: The History and Legacy of the Opening Battle of the English Civil War Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMedieval Russia: A Captivating Guide to Russian History during the Middle Ages Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Medieval Ukraine History: Ukraine Between Europe And Russia: The Golden Age Of Kievan Rus, Kingdom Of Galicia And The Cossacks Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMedieval History: Facts and Insights about Vikings, Anglo-Saxons, Crusaders, and the Plague (3 in 1) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAncient Smyrna: The History and Legacy of the Influential Greek City in Anatolia Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNew Zealand: A Captivating Guide to the History of the Land of the Long White Cloud and Māori People Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAlexander the Great: The Rise and Fall of the Macedonian Empire Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Comprehensive History of Romania: From Ancient Times to the Present Day Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The History of Hungary: From Ancient Times to the Present Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Early History of Montenegro: The History of the Region from Antiquity to Autonomy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Ancient History For You
Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Chariots of the Gods Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Gnosticism: The History and Legacy of the Mysterious Ancient Religion Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mary Magdalene: Women, the Church, and the Great Deception Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Emperor's Handbook: A New Translation of The Meditations Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Epic of Gilgamesh Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Meditations Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5When God Had a Wife: The Fall and Rise of the Sacred Feminine in the Judeo-Christian Tradition Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Killing Jesus: A History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Underworld: The Mysterious Origins of Civilization Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Alexander the Great Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Emperor of Rome: Ruling the Ancient World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/51177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed: Revised and Updated Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Persian Fire: The First World Empire and the Battle for the West Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Be: Life Lessons from the Early Greeks Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of An Empire Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire - Volume I Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bullies and Saints: An Honest Look at the Good and Evil of Christian History Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Ancient Greece 101: Greek History, Myth, and Civilization Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5History Is Wrong Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Eternal City: A History of Rome Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Ten Caesars: Roman Emperors from Augustus to Constantine Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Histories Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Past Mistakes: How We Misinterpret History and Why it Matters Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Hekate Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Book of the Dead: The History and Legacy of Ancient Egypt’s Famous Funerary Texts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Agrippina: The Most Extraordinary Woman of the Roman World Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Reviews for The Megalithic Temples of Malta
0 ratings0 reviews