The+Hypogeum+of+Hal-Saflieni

The Hypogeum of Ħal-Saflieni By Mia K-F The Hypogeum of Ħal-Saflieni is a prehistoric three-story burial site in Malta, dating back to 3300-300 BC, a time in Maltese prehistory known as the “Saflieni Phase”. It was built by the prehistoric people of Malta, and was originally thought to be a sanctuary, but over the course of prehistory, it may have been turned into a cemetery and over 7000 human remains have been found in it. The first level, only ten metres below the surface, consists of tombs built in natural caves that had been extended by the workers. After building the first level, the builders supposedly decided that the space was not large enough for more tombs, so they moved on to build the second level. This level holds possibly the most important rooms, such as the Main Room, the Holy of Holies, and the Oracle Room. Another interesting feature of this level is the Snake Pit, which is a two metre deep pit that may have held snakes. The third and final level, as well as the deepest underground, contains no bones or offerings. Instead, it contains only water. It seems to strongly suggest storage, maybe of grain. The Hypogeum of Ħal-Saflieni is the only prehistoric underground temple in the world.