In many parts of the world, scientists periodically discover mysterious catacombs and caves belonging to the cultures of civilizations that have sunk into oblivion and are important sources of information about the Ancient World. However, sometimes finds are made that plunge into bewilderment the most experienced archaeologists. One of these discoveries was Hal Saflieni, a hypogeum (megalithic underground sanctuary) in the city of Paola in the Republic of Malta.
Maltese underground temple
The name of this monument of antiquity is translated as "Temple of Death", and scientists gave it to the hypogeum for a reason. The underground structure was accidentally found here in 1902, when local workers were repairing a water supply in the center of Paola and unexpectedly fell into one of the halls of the sanctuary. The Maltese did not even suspect that they had discovered in this way a most valuable historical monument, which was once a sacred place for their ancestors.
The workers did not inform anyone about their find and simply filled the construction waste into the tunnel, thus saving on its disposal. Hal-Saflieni would have remained a secret for the whole world if the supernatural forces, awakened in the hypogeum, did not begin to demand sacrifices. On the eve of World War II, people suddenly began to disappear in the city. The police initially assumed that a predator or serial killer was to blame, but these guesses were not confirmed. But soon there were eyewitnesses who claimed that they saw how some unknown force intoxicates people and lures them into the catacombs near Paola.
When information about this mysticism appeared in the newspapers, researchers visited Malta, wishing to study the mysterious tunnels under the city. Scientists were amazed when they discovered a colossal underground labyrinth with countless passages, tunnels and halls. Surprisingly, the location of all the objects in the labyrinth matched perfectly with the ancient Maltese temples on the surface. The dungeon, one might say, was a mirror image of all the land-based religious structures built on the island in antiquity.
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Experts were shocked when they advanced into the labyrinth and found in its depths the remains of the townspeople who had disappeared before. There were also many children among them. All the unfortunate people died of dehydration. What made them come down here and get lost in the endless underground passages is a real mystery. After such a terrible discovery, the local authorities decided to carefully guard the entrance to the temple so that no one else would end their life here.
Who Constructed the Ancient Hypogeum?
Scientists suggest that Khal-Saflieni was built about eight thousand years ago. Scientists still cannot determine what technologies were then used to build this mind-bogglingly large and complex underground complex. Proponents of alternative theories believe that the authors of the sanctuary are representatives of a developed ancient civilization or even aliens.
It is hypothesized that these catacombs were built at the same time as the ancient Maltese temples on the surface. Each sanctuary in the underground labyrinth was divided into outer and inner zones. Commoners were allowed to visit only the outer areas, which were easy to get into and which were just as easy to leave. The inner zones were intended exclusively for the clergy, and only priests who made sacrifices to the gods could be here. Only the priests knew the passage through the forbidden parts of the catacombs, and ordinary parishioners, who were possessed by criminal curiosity, disappeared forever in the tunnels, unable to find a way out back.
Abnormal sounds of Hal-Saflieni
Paranormal phenomena were repeatedly recorded in the catacombs near Paola. Many visitors to the labyrinth heard inexplicable sounds and even noticed in the darkness of the tunnels human figures with torches, dressed in ritual clothes. Scientists decided to find an explanation for this devilry and even seem to have achieved success in this. When equipment was installed underground to measure the resonant frequency, it turned out that a sound with a frequency of 110 hertz was constantly heard there.
Scientists simulated this sound in a laboratory and exposed it to several volunteers. It turned out that such sound waves affect a person much stronger than ultrasound. Every single subject soon developed a temporary disorder of thought. They seemed to fall into a stupor and could not even really communicate with the researchers. In addition, the test subjects began to experience severe hallucinations.
Experts came to the conclusion that the ancient sanctuary was built in such a way that continuous drafts formed this sound in it. He introduced people into a state of a kind of hypnosis, and the curious uninitiated, who went too far, no longer had the opportunity to leave the labyrinth. At the same time, the priests could use some kind of earplugs (or some other devices) in order to protect themselves from the paralyzing and hallucinating sound.
Monsters in the dungeon
In March 1949, a group of archaeologists, who decided to explore a small part of the labyrinth, entered the dungeon and, tied with ropes, went deep into almost a hundred meters. No one has climbed this far into the hypogeum either before or since. Scientists have discovered that the labyrinth has three floors. When our heroes got to the third lower floor, a truly shocking picture appeared before them, plunging the people of science into indescribable horror.
Tens of thousands of human skeletons lay in huge chambers carved into the limestone. Experts have determined that the remains were of different ages, as if someone had been collecting them in a dungeon for centuries. Of course, after such a find it was madness to go further. However, one researcher decided to walk a little more to see what was in the next cell. The entrance to this casemate was incredibly narrow, and the woman had to crawl along it for a relatively long time. To secure it, they tied it with an additional rope. Having penetrated the camera, the expert turned on the flashlight and saw who was collecting the corpses here.
From that side, several anthropomorphic tall creatures with gray skin, huge toothy jaws and predatory burning eyes, vaguely resembling humanoids, looked at the woman. Alarmed by the light of the lantern, the creatures squinted, scurried nearby and tried to get close to the man. Scaring off the monsters with light, the archaeologist moved back and miraculously got out in the end to her colleagues. By a lucky coincidence, or maybe by the intent of the monsters, the entrance to their hall fell asleep as soon as the adventurer was near her comrades.
Desperate researchers (especially everything paranormal) tried to penetrate into the Temple of Death later, but they did not manage to unravel its secret, and the locals are panicky about these mystical catacombs and never descend into them, so as not to anger the "sleeping" gods or demons of the dungeon …
