| Description : A hypogeum is an underground burial structure with a vault. In
1899, the underground Neolithic temple complex of Ħal‐Saflieni was accidentally discovered in the Maltese city
of Paola during the construction of a cystern for new buildings. However, the sensational find was only reported to the
authorities in 1902, who then immediately ordered a halt to construction. Skeletons of around 7000 people were found in the
caves. During the first excavations by the archaeologist Manuel Magri, part of the excavated material ‐ containing
human remains and grave goods ‐ disappeared and the excavation report was also lost with Magri's death in 1907. The
physician, chemistry professor, historian and archaeologist Themistocles Zammit continued the excavations until 1911 and
handed over the now carefully documented finds from the hypogeum ‐ such as the terracotta figure of the 'Sleeping Lady'
(sleeping Venus) ‐ to the National Archaeological Museum in Valletta, which he directed. The hypogeum, dated to
between 4000 and 2500 BC and partly decorated with ochre paintings, has a total area of around 500 square metres and
was driven into the soft limestone to a depth of 10 metres. It was recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1980.
The coin motif is the room called 'Holy of Holies', which shows a complete façade with threshold and orthostats,
borrowed from the architecture of the above‐ground megalithic temples of Malta, but carved into the rock, with a
cantilevered vault above. Below is written in two lines "ĦAL‐SAFLIENI HYPOGEUM" as the occasion of issue and
below that the age "4000 ‐ 2500 BC". On the top in two lines, "MALTA 2022" is the name of the issuing
country and the year of issue. The signet "NGB" of the mint designer Noel Galea Bason appears at the bottom right.
The coin was produced without mint mark by the Royal Dutch mint Koninklijke Nederlandse Munt in Houten. |
