Valletta - National Museum of Archeology

On Republic Street, at the intersection with Britannia Street, is the National Museum of Archeology, with a collection which is unique in the world.

It is housed in the former Auberge de Provence, an imposing building erected by Gerolama Cassar in 1571.

The most notable exhibits are in the prehistoric section, which contains all the material recovered from the Neolithic temples of the Maltese Islands 6,000-7,000 year-old pottery, ornaments, altars, limestone statuettes, terracottas, cult utensils, etc., from the Ggantija site on Gaza, the cult sites of Hagar Qim, Mnajdra and Hal Tarxien and the Hypogaeum. One room contains interesting models of the five best preserved temples. Other sections are devoted to Phoenician, Punic, Roman and Arab material and to the Order of St John. The headless "fat" statues of the supposed deities are on display here, and there are also three-dimensional models of the prehistoric sites in Malta and Gozo (the oldest free-standing monuments in the world).

Displays begin on the ground floor with Roman anchors, the largest of which weighs over three tons and was discovered off Bugibba in 1963.

As a starting point for a tour use the central limestone altar from Hagar Qim.

To the right is the long Prehistory Gallery which includes pottery shards, artifacts and primitive jewelry. The central displays show pottery finds from the Hypogeum, which is temporarily closed.

The next room is the Tarxien Room, and contains finds and figures from the side and the period 3000-2500 B.C.

In the Bronze Age Room are relics that show how life changed after the Temple culture inexplicably collapsed and Tarxien became a crematorium.

To the left of the Hagar Qim altar is the Tarxien Sculpture Room, containing a model of the site, the original and impressive headless statue of what is presumed to be the "fat" goddess of fertility, the altar from the South Temple and an immense frieze block carved with ocular spirals.

The museum also has Punic and Roman relics, including the cippus from Marsaxlokk on the first floor.