This week’s entry is my blog is about the Island that the archaeological
site, Ggantija, is located on. This is the island of Gozo in the Mediterranean
sea. The Island measures roughly about nine miles long, by four miles wide.
Gozo is much greener and quieter than the rest of Malta, the region that the
island resides in. The islands beautiful rocky mountains and lush green planes make
for a breathtaking view when highlighted by the surrounding crystal blue water
of the Mediterranean sea. The magnificent landscape and scenery makes the island
a great travel destination. The settlements of Gozo used to be once several
tranquil fishing villages are now more populated, but still quite picturesque
seaside towns. Gozo is home to many other sites and tourist attractions other than
just Ggantija. Victoria, named after Queen Victoria, is a Citadel built in the
capital city. It was used as a 15th Century defense structure against the Turkish
Empire and pirate attacks from the sea. St George's Basilica, built in the
1670s, is surrounded by narrow streets and contains paintings and artifacts
dating back to Roman times. One of the more interesting spots on the Island is Calypso's
Cave. Overlooking Gozo's best beach, Ramla l- Hamra, the cave is argued to be the
one described in Homer's poem, The Odyssey. For in this cave the nymph Calypso
forced Odysseus to be her prisoner of love for seven years. The island also has
several museums, including one on archaeology and one devoted to the local folklore.
However, the main attraction on the Island of Gozo is the Ggantija Temples.
Built before 3500BC, they are situated about a 10-minute walk from the nearby village
or can be reached by a ferry. The temples were cleared out in 1827. During this
period, archaeology was still a treasure hunt and all the valuable pieces that
can give us insight into the history of are lost. We can only guess what
information, might have been yielded by a modern investigator. What is known is
that the site was built by the people of Malta. These settlers first arrived and
settled the area about 7,000 years ago. They left their pottery as evidence. These
pottery pieces are the few things that remained at Ggantija after the site was
lifted of all its artifacts. The pottery found was made of a utilitarian grey
ware at first. Pottery was also found to be made of a more attractive material with
a red slip. This pottery is believed to have arrived later then the gray
pottery also found. It is estimated that a thousand years passed, and this new
information in the pottery record indicates a new immigration. The origin of
this immigration is unknown but is assumed to be from Sicily, which was close
enough for contact. However, the culture of the newcomers soon developed along
its own mode and remained different from the Malta people. This raises the
question as to why this pottery from these people was found at Ggantija.
Sometime about 5,600 years ago, the unique Maltese temples, such as Ggantija
appeared. Their outside walls are constructed of great, roughly hewn stones
fitted together without mortar, and the interior space is divided into a series
of connected apses, some of which have altar tables made of stone slabs. It is speculated
that these temples have religious nature, but with the lack of artifact known
to be from this site it is difficult to know the truth about Ggantija’s true purpose.
I think that the intermingling between the Malta people and the Newcomers that
came later made for trade and that when they built Ggantija, the people of
Malta had connections that allowed them to acquire this different style of
pottery to but in the temple. However, that is just my belief. As my research
into Ggantija continues I’ll see how my view on this changes.
Works Cited:
Evans, James
Allan. "The Maltese Connection." Contemporary Review 2000:
309-12. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 18 Feb. 2012 .
"In and
Around Gozo." TTG, Travel Trade Gazette, U.K.and Ireland.02624397
(1999): 48-. ABI/INFORM Complete. Web. 18 Feb. 2012.
A rather interesting island indeed. I am frankly astounded that the environment has not yet completely by tourism, as is the case with many other locations. You described in your first post the usage of grand limestone rocks in construction of the temples. I ponder why limestone was so readily available and also if other, more European-style structures of later arrivals were made with similar materials, or if Europe's preferred construction materials were brought over by ship, especially if the connection to Sicily is indeed true. The pottery mystery is also tied into this possibly, although I would have to see evidence of links to European pottery before I could reach a conclusion.
ReplyDeleteAnother aspect that I am pondering is if "Calypso's Cave" was discovered by someone who was examining various islands in search of the fabled island describe in Homer’s writings. If so, that would be a reminder of how much of the ancient past has been found by those enchanted by fables and tales from the past, such as the case with the discovery of Troy. Oddly enough, both were the result of Homer's writings. Perhaps delving into those ancient writings again may provide let another link to this island.
For future research, have you considered looking into research done beneath the waters surrounding the island? Perhaps there is some sort of lost cache of artifacts or even features lost to the depths. It could be possible that during the original excavations of the temples, the careless workers may have tossed certain objects into the water as disposal of so-called debris.
If there was any constructive criticism I could give, it would be to break up your writing into paragraphs. I had no trouble reading your post as is, but others might.