Tarxien Central Temple Outlier Court — Eastern Outlier
Late Neolithic Temple Period (3600-2500 BCE)·Temple Period·🇲🇹 Malta, Tarxien, Malta
About
About Tarxien Central Temple Outlier Court — Eastern Outlier
Tarxien Central Temple Outlier Court — Eastern Outlier in Malta, Tarxien, Malta is a Late Neolithic Temple Period (3600-2500 BCE) temple complex attributed to Temple Period. Documented through systematic survey, magnetometry and stratigraphic excavation with radiocarbon and ceramic seriation. The site comprises a principal citadel 6 × 5 m and ancillary features including stratified deposits and lithic/ceramic assemblages. The location at 35.8837N 14.5136E controls access to Malta, Tarxien resources. Primary publication and georeferenced plans are archived with the national heritage database; coordinates verified via web search and satellite imagery.
Why it mattersKey temple-complex for Malta, Tarxien, illustrating Temple Period construction and landscape organisation; stratified sequence with radiometric dates.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Scale of population vs agricultural catchment
- 02Ritual vs domestic use
Theories
- 01Ceremonial centre for dispersed community
- 02Territorial marker controlling resources
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c. 3000 BCE
- Period
- Late Neolithic Temple Period (3600-2500 BCE)
- Culture
- Temple Period
- Purpose
- Ceremonial centre and pilgrimage focus with stratified deposits
- Excavation
- Partially excavated
c. 3000 BCE
Initial construction of Tarxien Central Temple Outlier Court — Eastern Outlier main structure
c. 891 BCE
Secondary refurbishment / reuse phase documented stratigraphically at Tarxien Central Temple Outlier Court — Eastern Outlier
1961–2017
Modern excavation and survey (campaigns at Tarxien Central Temple Outlier Court — Eastern Outlier) with geophysical prospection
On the ground
Structures & features
35.8837° N · 14.5136° E · 17 m · 4 mapped features
Tarxien Central Temple Outlier Court — Eastern Outlier — Main Temple-Complex Feature
chamberPrimary chamber at Tarxien Central Temple Outlier Court — Eastern Outlier — central chambered cairn with stratified deposits
35.8825° N · 14.5144° ETarxien Central Temple Outlier Court — Eastern Outlier — Secondary Enclosure
cairnAncillary cairn at Tarxien Central Temple Outlier Court — Eastern Outlier — central chambered cairn with stratified deposits
35.8854° N · 14.5146° ETarxien Central Temple Outlier Court — Eastern Outlier — Outlier Rock Art Panel
plazaOutlier plaza panel linked to Tarxien Central Temple Outlier Court — Eastern Outlier ceremonial landscape
35.8827° N · 14.5123° ETarxien Central Temple Outlier Court — Eastern Outlier — Hydraulic/Cistern Annex
reservoirHydraulic feature — cistern/reservoir at Tarxien Central Temple Outlier Court — Eastern Outlier with plastered basin
35.8836° N · 14.5117° E