Heritage Malta

Heritage Malta is the national agency for museums, conservation practice, and cultural heritage of the Government of Malta. Established in 2002, it replaced the former Museums Department, which was set up in 1903.

The mission of Heritage Malta is to safeguard and render accessible the cultural heritage assets entrusted to it, thus contributing toward a better appreciation of Malta’s cultural identity and also increasing the country’s tourism potential. While conserving and managing the cultural assets under its responsibility in a sustainable manner, Heritage Malta is committed to providing physical and intellectual access to all, and to improving the experience of visitors to its sites and museums through exhibitions and a variety of cultural events, educational programs, and publications.

The National Museum of Archaeology

The National Museum of Archaeology houses Malta’s millennial archaeological collection. It displays a spectacular range of artifacts dating from Malta’s Early Neolithic Period (5200–4100 bce) through the Phoenician Period (8th–4th century bce). Highlights include the “Venus of Malta” from the Ħaġar Qim Temple, on view in this exhibition, as well as the world-famous “Sleeping Lady” from the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum. The museum provides visitors with a broad overview of the prehistory and history of the Maltese Islands and acts as an introduction to all other archaeological sites in Malta. Projects are currently underway to expand the exhibits to include additional halls focusing on the later Phoenician/Punic, Roman, Byzantine, and medieval periods in Malta.

The Gozo Museum of Archaeology

The Gozo Museum of Archaeology opened as the Gozo Museum in 1960 and was reorganized in 1986 to focus on the archaeological collections, with a series of galleries dedicated to Prehistoric, Classical, and Medieval to early modern objects found on the island of Gozo. Highlighted in the prehistoric galleries are the incredible finds excavated at the Xagħra Circle in the 1990s, several of which are on view in this exhibition including “The Xagħra Twin Seated Figure” and a selection of the “Shaman’s Cache Schematic Figures.” Some of the artifacts from Ġgantija and the Xagħra Circle will soon form part of the display at the Ġgantija Visitor Centre.