Pick up lots of fascinating insights into prehistoric Malta when you visit the National Museum of Archaeology. Investigate ancient artifacts that are more than 7,000 years old. The collection is housed inside the Auberge de Provence, one of the first buildings to be constructed in Valletta after the Great Siege of 1565.
Tour the rooms that cover the Neolithic period and view tools and other relics that help tell the story of early human settlement of the Maltese islands. Go to the Main Hall to see the temple carvings. Study the patterns and carved representations of animals on the altar blocks. Admire the artistry of figurines with unusually rotund forms. They were created by the Red Skorba people. One of the noteworthy pieces is the Sleeping Lady, a figure of a woman lying on her side.
Look over the Bronze Age daggers that were excavated from the Tarxien Temples, a megalithic temple complex built between 3,600 and 2,500 B.C.
In other rooms, find displays of flint tools, pottery, jewels and ornaments. The museum also hosts a number of temporary exhibitions that tend to cover different periods of the history of the islands.
In addition to examining the archaeological findings, take the time to appreciate the grand building, including the ornate décor of the Grand Salon. Appreciate the wooden beamed ceiling and the lavish paintwork on the walls. The room was once used as a banqueting hall by the Knights of the Order of Saint John.
The museum opens every day from morning until evening. There is a small fee for admission with various discounts available, such as half price tickets for children.
The National Museum of Archaeology is situated in the city centre, between the National Museum of Fine Arts and St. John’s Cathedral. There are plenty of boutiques and cafés in the area, as well as the Embassy Shopping Centre and the National Library of Malta.
