The Maltese Islands are positively mythic with Megaliths, medieval dungeons and Calypso's Cave . The narrow streets of their towns and villages are crowded with Renaissance cathedrals and Baroque palaces. As the countryside is dotted with the oldest known human structures in the world, the Islands have rightly been described as an open-air museum.The Maltese archipelago is situated at the centre of the Mediterranean, with Malta 93 km south of Sicily and 288 km north of Africa. The archipelago consists of three islands: Malta, Gozo and Comino. The total population is 400,000 inhabitants over an area of 316 sq km and a coastline of 196.8km. The largest island and also cultural, commercial and administrative centre is Malta. The second largest island and more rural is Gozo, Comino is largely uninhabited. Although small, Malta has a long and rich history. Man first arrived in Malta around 5200 BC. These first Neolithic people probably arrived from Sicily and were mainly farming and fishing communities, with some evidence of hunting activities. They apparently lived in caves and open dwellings.

Embark on a magical voyage to the enchanted sites of the ancient world, all associated with legends of mystery and power. From Stonehenge in England to the oracle of Apollo in Greece, Magical and Mystical Sites explores the most remarkable and significant places of antiquity -- temples, places of learning, monuments, ruins, and sacred groves -- and the legends that accompany them. Filled with details of historical data and local information, this book is a wonderful companion for both the armchair traveler and the actual visitor. Magical and Mystical Sites explores the sacred and legendary places of the British Isles, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Greece, and more -- places like Delphi, Chartres, and Glastonbury. The discussions are highly readable yet consistently thorough, focusing not only on the lore and legends, but also covering archaeological discoveries, the nature of the old divinities, the relation of the sites to ancient culture and religion, and what these places are like today. Rounded out with excellent photographs and maps, Magical and Mystical Sites is a complete historical and practical guide to the sacred sites of Europe and the British Isles. Illustrated.

The paperback release of the second volume of Sitchin’s autobiographical account of the investigations and discoveries that led to The Earth Chronicles series • Zecharia Sitchin tells how his life was at risk inside the Great Pyramid and reveals the existence of a secret chamber • Reports on Vatican encounters, the Iceman of the Alps, the Antikythera computer, the temples and Ruts of Malta--and offers a solution to the enigma of the Nazca lines • 18,000 copies sold in hardcover since September 2007 In Journeys to the Mythical Past the renowned researcher of antiquity Zecharia Sitchin reveals, for the first time, the existence of a secret chamber in Egypt’s Great Pyramid, and he tells his own story of an indefatigable dedication to finding the truth that almost cost him his life--accidentally or otherwise--when uncovering secrets of the Giza pyramids and Sphinx. Exposing hidden artifacts that contradict establishment assumptions or that baffle scientists, Sitchin’s firsthand accounts of his explorations take the reader into the inner workings of the Vatican, the enigma of a futuristic computer from millennia ago, and the secret handiwork of a Divine Architect at Stonehenge, at Malta, and at a site in the Americas. Looking deep into antiquity, Sitchin offers astounding evidence that links the Nazca lines and a baffling adjoining site to the Departure from Earth of the Anunnaki, the ancient gods who, he believes, vowed to Return.

This edited volume brings together a collection of works that comprehensively address both the myriad geomorphological landscapes of the Maltese Islands and how their evolution has been shaped over various time-scales by different sets of processes. Additionally, the work highlights how the small geographical setting of the Maltese Islands helped to closely connect these landscapes with Maltese society and as a result, they have evolved from stand-alone examples of geomorphology to important backdrops of Maltese cultural identity. Most of the contributing authors are academics – both local and foreign – with a research focus on the geomorphology of the Maltese Islands. However, the editors have also (and purposefully) chosen other contributors from governmental institutions and research agencies, who complement the geomorphological research with their proactive work in selected case studies on Maltese landscapes.

Mythical Ireland embodies the search for a soul among Ireland's ancient ruins, and is an attempt to retrieve something of deeper import from 5,000-year-old megalithic monuments and their associated myths. The book represents a fascinating and engaging journey through time, landscape and the human spirit. Dealing with archaeology, interpretive mythography, cosmology and cosmogony, the book attempts to grapple with a core meaning, something beyond the functional interpretations of academia. In this revised and expanded edition, Anthony Murphy delves further into the many enthralling aspects of this journey. Just how much knowledge did locals have of the secrets of Newgrange before it was excavated? Who is the Cailleach, the ancient hag goddess whose image is ubiquitous in the ancient landscape? What happened to make Ireland's Stonehenge disappear from the landscape? Who were the first kings of Tara? What were the indigenous Irish myths about the Milky Way? Did someone try to steal the Tara Brooch? Why are there myths in Ireland about flooded towns and cities? Lavishly illustrated with exquisite photographs of the Irish landscape and ancient monuments, Mythical Ireland represents a personal and yet universal journey, a quest to reimagine the shrines as empowering and transformative sacred places. Murphy invokes the druids and poets of the Boyne and thus the sídhe of the ancient texts are reawakened for a modern and turbulent world.