Saflieni phase
{{short description|Archaeological phase of Maltese prehistory}}
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{{Maltese Prehistoric Chronology}}
The Saflieni phase is one of the eleven phases of Maltese prehistory, the fourth of five in the middle or Temple period. It is named for the Ħal-Saflieni Hypogeum, an underground temple complex now recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO,{{r|un}} which was built mainly in this period.
Overview
The Saflieni phase, from approximately 3300–3000 BC,{{r|med}} is a brief transitional phase between the Ġgantija and Tarxien phases, the two main phases during which the principal Megalithic temples of Malta were built.{{r|trump|page=21}} Saflieni-phase ceramics may provide a useful indication of separation between the two long phases.{{r|grima|page=45}} They have been recovered from a number of Megalithic sites, including: the top level of the remains at Santa Verna at Xagħra in Gozo; from the eastern part of the temple of Ta' Ħaġrat in Mġarr; and from the lower levels of the east temple at Skorba.{{r|grima|page=45–46}}
References
{{reflist|refs=
David Hilary Trump (1972). Malta: An Archaeological Guide. London: Faber and Faber.
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Category:Neolithic cultures of Europe
Category:Archaeological cultures of Europe
Category:Archaeological cultures in Malta
Category:Megalithic Temples of Malta
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