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The spiral designs from the prehistoric temples have become a symbol of Malta itself. Many look alike, but none are exactly alike. Quoting from Michael Ridley's book 'The Megalithic Art of the Maltese Islands';
The motifs are curvilinear, derived from or consisting of spirals and circles. Perhaps the most interesting are the curvilinear motifs; they are also the most prolific, the majority being at Tarxien, while others were found at Bugibba, Ggantija, Hagar Qim, Tas-Silg and the Hal-Saflieni Hypogeum. The basic component of these designs is the spiral. It appears in a number of forms as double opposed spirals arranged as oculi, as combinations of single spirals, sometimes described as 'C' spirals, as 'S' spirals, including reversed and horizontal versions and then other components are derived from the spiral.
Underneath, in the animated picture are graphically represented copies of ALL the relief carved spirals that have been found in the Maltese Prehistoric Temples. The spirals in the picture are not in scale with one another. To see the spiral designs painted with red ochre at the Hypogeum of Hal-Saflieni, go to the Hypogeum pages. |
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