TA'HAGRAT MEGALITHIC SITE

Located in the rural village of Mġarr in the north of the island, the megalithic site of Ta' Ħaġrat was discovered in 1916 and at the time was referred to as a "stone mound". The Ta' Ħaġrat site was excavated between 1923 and 1926, under the direction of Sir Temi Zammit, director of museums at the time. He enlisted the help of the village chaplain and also employed several villagers to help with the task. Located close to the Skorba site, since it is only about a kilometer away, the Ta' Ħaġrat megalithic site consists of two structures placed side by side. The larger structures date from the Ġgantija phase (3600 to 3200 BC). The megalithic site is topped by a concave facade with a monumental gate opening onto a central courtyard. Three steps lead up to this gate, and this is what makes it so unique. The courtyard is rectangular and located one level below the semicircular rooms on each of its three sides. In the room on the left, you can see how each row of stone blocks projects slightly inwards, shortening the span of the room and facilitating roofing. The room on the right was modified in the Neolithic period to provide access to the second, smaller structure built later. Although smaller in size than the island's other Neolithic sites, several interesting discoveries were made here. Pottery, stone tools, animal bones and a small limestone building model were found. This model represents a covered building, supporting the theory that these structures were originally covered. The model also represents two construction techniques used at the time: corbelling to facilitate roofing and the use of alternating vertical and horizontal megaliths in wall construction. The model is on display at Valletta's National Museum of Archaeology. Over the years, this site has become an important landmark for the Mġarr community. Its members took part in the site work during the excavations, they assisted in the restoration of the main portal and, today, they contribute to the management of the site. The site is so important to the community that it has chosen its monumental gate as one of the symbols of its council emblem.