Ġgantija

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/gantija

1. What is the location?
2. What is the period?
3. What is Ġgantija and why is it called "Homes of the Giants"?
4. When was Ġgantija built and how old is it compared to the pyramids and Stonehenge?

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the location?Xagħra, Gozo, Malta
2. What is the period?Neolithic (approx. 3600–2500 BC)
3. What is Ġgantija and why is it called "Homes of the Giants"?Ġgantija is a Neolithic temple complex on Gozo, Malta, built with huge stone blocks. It is called "Homes of the Giants" because the stones are very big and the place looks like a giant's house.
4. When was Ġgantija built and how old is it compared to the pyramids and Stonehenge?It was built between about 3600 and 2500 BC, making it older than the Egyptian pyramids by more than a thousand years and older than Stonehenge by centuries.

Megalithic: Pertaining to structures built using very large stones, often erected in prehistoric times.
Neolithic: The period of human history characterized by the development of agriculture, settled communities, and polished stone tools.
Fertility Rite: A ritualistic practice aimed at ensuring abundance, procreation, and the continuation of life, often associated with agricultural cycles and human reproduction.
Ceremonial Center: A location designated for religious or social rituals, gatherings, and symbolic activities.