Malta and Gozo, our ‘sacred islands’, until 1830 and 1954 possessed respectively two separate Neolithic stone circles.

This has been a major loss to Maltese prehistory

The major one, the Xagħra Stone Circle (sometimes known as Brochtorff’s Circle after D. H. Trump, 1960), was situated on top of the Tal-Qaċċa hill, at Ix-Xagħra l-Kbira, in Xagħra, Gozo (Joseph Attard Tabone, 2006).

A second one, on a site known as It-Tumbata, rose over the top of Luqa village in Malta (J. D. Evans, 1971).

Both stone circles were deliberately destroyed in the last 200 years, at an enormous moral cost to Malta’s prehistory – in Xagħra by the land’s private tenant, and in Luqa by official state approval and action.

This has been a major loss to Maltese prehistory.

At Xagħra we still have a below-ground hypogeum and necropolis, with significant finds since 1994. At Luqa, nothing remains, since the land in question was expropriated by the Government for the building of an important water reservoir.

All else is gone forever. And we will have to be content with our 30-odd major and minor prehistoric temples of 3800-2500BC.

But although it may sound incredible, our authorities can reverse this sorry situation by embarking on a serious evaluation of these two ancient sites.

For the Xagħra Circle, a deep and thorough study of the paintings done and published by Jean Houel in 1787, and Charles de Brochtorff in 1822, will reveal the layout and alignments of the rude circle of boulders strewn on the ground.

It will also reveal the layout, alignments and dimensions of the two huge standing megaliths at the entrance gateway to this prehistoric phenomenon.

Restored boulders and megaliths will be of a suitable material, to stand the weather and other causes of possible erosion and instability.

This site overlooks the Ġgantija Temples, and lies to their west. Solar solsticial and equinoctial phenomena have been suggested for this site’s original gateway.

The land in question is both sown and garigue. Modern technology can, with due care, restore the ground level to its pristine state.

Then we shall have, and enjoy our Xagħra Stone Circle in its entirety once again. Since It-Tumbata site at Luqa is occupied by a large water reservoir, its handling is more problematic. Some foreign organisations would go so far as to remove the modern reservoir altogether, and replace it with a restored circle, featuring a high gateway and other megaliths, as was described by John D. Evans in his survey of 1971.

What has been achieved by the Italian firm Canobbio at the Ħaġar Qim main temple, and at the three temples of Mnajdra, under the competent direction of Reuben Grima of the Museum of Archaeology, Valletta, in the shape of huge Teflon tents covering these two sites, can be performed in a completely new manner at Xagħra, and at Luqa, to restore these extremely important prehistoric sites to their pristine state.

When all this is done, Malta and Gozo’s prehistoric remains will acquire a greatly enhanced dimension.

Let us not forget that neighbouring Sicily has nothing to compare with our islands’ lobed prehistoric temples. Malta’s stone circles and temples are indeed unique.