Heritage Malta, in collaboration with the National Archives of Malta through its Memorja Project, has concluded a year-and-a-half-long initiative documenting and preserving community memories linked to the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum in Paola.
The project aimed to record anecdotes and lived experiences related to the Hypogeum from before the 1980s, enriching the site’s archaeological significance by highlighting its impact on individuals and the surrounding community through personal narratives.
Interviews and written testimonies were collected from former site guardians, conservation and research professionals, visitors and Paola residents.
Some contributors recalled sheltering within the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum during World War II, demonstrating the site’s continued role in people’s lives beyond its prehistoric origins.
Public engagement was central. In collaboration with the Paola local council, Heritage Malta organised outreach initiatives including a public event, guided visits for residents and interviews at an older people’s home.
During an official event at the Hypogeum, all collected material − recorded interviews, written accounts and digitised photographs − was formally deposited with the National Archives of Malta for long-term preservation and public access through the Memorja Project. Participants attended in recognition of their role in safeguarding this shared intangible heritage.
Heritage Malta’s chief operations officer, Kenneth Gambin, emphasised the importance of preserving intangible heritage.
“Our heritage is part of us all − it is intertwined with us in such a way that without us it cannot survive. Therefore, we have a common responsibility to ensure that our oral tradition − the stories and personal experiences we recount about our historical heritage − is not lost. This is also part of Heritage Malta’s mission. These collected memories are invaluable, and their value will continue to increase as time goes by,” he said.
National archivist and CEO of the National Archives of Malta, Charles J. Farrugia, added that the collaboration between the National Archives of Malta’s Memorja project and Heritage Malta signifies further cooperation in ethnographic research and oral tradition, preserving the “collective memory of citizens, archaeologists and cultural heritage professionals who have been linked to the Hypogeum for generations”.
Dating back to between 3800 and 2000BC, the Hypogeum is a unique underground burial complex carved from rock. Discovered in 1902 and among the first Maltese sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, it remains one of the best-preserved Neolithic environments, featuring intact architecture, red ochre wall paintings and artefacts such as the ‘Sleeping Lady’ figurine.
