Un ipogeo artificiale connesso con l’acqua nel santuario megalitico di Tas-Silġ (Malta) e un confronto con altri contesti insulari del Mediterraneo centrale fra IV e II millennio a.C.

Some years ago, in the framework of the research activities of the Italian Archae- ological Mission in Malta, Maria Pia Rossignani (Università Cattolica di Mila- no) promoted the exploration of an underground structure located within the area of the Tas-Silġ sanctuary. Although it underwent substantial modifications over the historic periods, various features of this underground structure strongly suggest that it was originally constructed in the Late Neolithic, concurrently with the building of the megalithic structures at the site. In all likelihood the main practical purpose of this structure was to hold water supply. Nonetheless, its lo- cation inside a long-living cultic centre also points to the strong symbolic value this might have held. This paper presents preliminary data about this structure and furthermore discusses possible parallels in other insular contexts of the Cen- tral Mediterranean between the 4th and the 2nd millennia BC.