Humans
The alignment of some megalithic temples in Malta suggests they may have been used to teach sailors how to navigate by the stars
Ħaġar Qim, a megalithic temple complex in southern Malta
Felix Choo / Alamy Stock Photo
Several 5000-year-old temples in Malta seem to have been oriented towards specific stars, suggesting the temples could have been schools for celestial navigation.
Ancient people constructed seven temples across the Maltese archipelago from 3800 to 2300 BC. Fashioned from large, cut stones weighing several tonnes, the complexes are among the earliest megalithic structures ever built.
“Most researchers agree that the temples display features associated with ritual behaviour,” says Huw Groucutt at the…
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