Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum

Hypogeum of Ħal Saflieni
	The Hypogeum, photograph by Richard Ellis, before 1910
	Shown within Malta
Alternative name	Ħal Saflieni Prehistoric Hypogeum (official name)
Location	Paola, Malta
Coordinates	35°52′10.5″N 14°30′24.5″E / 35.869583°N 14.506806°E
Area	500m2
History
Material	Limestone
Founded	c.4000 BC (earliest remains)
Abandoned	c.2500 BC
Periods	Saflieni phase
Site notes
Excavation dates	1903–1908, 1990–1993
Archaeologists	Manuel Magri; Themistocles Zammit
Condition	Preserved and restored in 2017
Ownership	Government of Malta
Management	Heritage Malta
Public access	Yes (limited)
Website	Heritage Malta
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Official name	Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum
Type	Cultural
Criteria	iii
Designated	1980 (4th session)
Reference no.	130
Region	Europe and North America

The Hypogeum of Ħal Saflieni (Maltese: Ipoġew ta' Ħal Saflieni [ɪpɔˈd͡ʒɛʊ̯ tɐ ħɐl sɐfˈlɪːnɪ]) is a Neolithic subterranean structure dating to the Saflieni phase (3300 – 3000 BC) in Maltese prehistory, located in Paola, Malta. It is often simply referred to as the Hypogeum, literally meaning "underground" in Greek. The Hypogeum is thought to have been a sanctuary and necropolis, with the estimated remains of more than 7,000 people documented by archeologists,^[1] and is among the best preserved examples of the Maltese temple building culture that also produced the Megalithic Temples and Xagħra Stone Circle.

^ Sagona, Claudia (2015). The Archaeology of Malta: From the Neolithic through the Roman Period. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1107006690.

[sagona-1] Sagona, Claudia (2015). The Archaeology of Malta: From the Neolithic through the Roman Period. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1107006690.

[1]