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Note on two possible circles of standing megaliths centered around a
sinkhole in the area between Mnajdra and Ħaġar Qim.
Ronald Poell, 2020-09-241
At an equal distance of 390 meters between Mnajdra and Ħaġar Qim there is a (presumed) sinkhole.
This oval sinkhole is approximately 10 by 17 meters (Fig. 1 and 2).
The well know standing megalith, sometimes called menhir, is located at a distance of 18 meters of
the North-East border of the sinkhole (Fig. 4). The flat side of this megalith is facing the sinkhole.
At the South-West border of the sinkhole there is a a stone layer of at least 4.8 meters long covered
by calcite which represents in its eastern end two series of tool marks (Fig. 5 and 6).
The vertical borders of the sinkhole have tool marks in several places.
The area around the sinkhole is in many places disturbed by the flattening and clearing of
rectangular areas used for bird-trap activities.
In the period between 17 and 22 September 2020 a survey was carried out on large stones that could
have been ancient standing megaliths but which have either fallen but remained in place and those
who might have been more or less displaced.
In total 39 blocks were considered potentially interesting.
Interpretations
The layer on top of the rock layer at the entrance of the sinkhole with the calcite surface might have
been the source of the entrance threshold of Mnajdra South (Fig. 7). The coarse limestone on which
the calcite is present is the same as the one of the threshold. The removed rock layer could also have
provided other threshold stones with a calcite surface as the ones in the second passage of Mnajdra
North (Fig. 8).
From the recorded 39 blocks, 14 of them seem to form the remnants of two concentric circles
centered around a point in the South-West part of the sinkhole. The diameters of these circles are 32
meters (5 megaliths including the remaining standing one) and 42 meters (9 megaliths) (Fig. 3).
The inner circle could have consisted of 18 megaliths and the outer circle possibly up to 21.
The 25 other stones were temporarily discarded because they are integrated in a stone wall and thus
obviously not in their original position, or at the border of a bird trap area and most likely displaced.
Some were discarded as the GPS coordinates as registered by the cameras presents a variation such
that the current real position could not be extrapolated with enough certainty. Further survey on
these will be necessary.
If the interpretation of the two standing megalith circles is correct it would imply that the location
of the current sinkhole had a particular importance for the people that erected the megaliths.
Given the overall temple builder period context of the area it can be assumed that they were the
result of activities of the temple builders.
Sinkholes are often the result of the collapse of an underground cave. If this is the case here that
cave must have had a particular, and likely high, value for the people living in that area.
These circles might then have had a protection or a respect function.
And this cave might have been the burial place of the temple builders in this area.
1 Edited 2020-10-26: Added header, footer and moved date to the beginning.
Poell 2020, Note on two possible circles of standing megaliths centered around a sinkhole in the area between Mnajdra and Ħaġar Qim
Given the karst characteristics of the surrounding limestone the cave could be much bigger than the
collapsed part.
Heritage Malta has been informed on the 19th about these observations and interpretations.
A ground penetration radar survey could shed some light on what is present underground.
All illustrations are copyright of the author.
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Fig 1: Sinkhole. View from the North-East.
Poell 2020, Note on two possible circles of standing megaliths centered around a sinkhole in the area between Mnajdra and Ħaġar Qim
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Poell 2020, Note on two possible circles of standing megaliths centered around a sinkhole in the area between Mnajdra and Ħaġar Qim
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Fig 4: Only remaining standing megalith. The border of sinkhole is visible to the left of it.
Poell 2020, Note on two possible circles of standing megaliths centered around a sinkhole in the area between Mnajdra and Ħaġar Qim
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Fig 5: Stone layer with calcite surface and tool marks in the South-West of the sinkhole.
Poell 2020, Note on two possible circles of standing megaliths centered around a sinkhole in the area between Mnajdra and Ħaġar Qim
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Fig 6: Detail of the tools marks on the calcite surface. Note the two sets of parallel marks.
Fig 7: Mnajdra South: entrance threshold with calcite.
Poell 2020, Note on two possible circles of standing megaliths centered around a sinkhole in the area between Mnajdra and Ħaġar Qim
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Fig 8: Mnajdra North. Passage threshold with calcite.