Prehistoric Sites of Malta – Skorba

The prehistoric temple of Skorba, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The prehistoric complex consists of two temples grouped side by side, located in the north-west of the country near Zebbieġħ. Below them, at the centre, a “Cycladic idol” is shown – an abstracted ceramic figurine. At the upper right: the inscriptions “SKORBA”, “TEMPLES” and the dates “3600-2500 BC”. At the lower left: the name of the issuing state “MALTA” and, below it, the year “2020”. At the lower right: the initials “NGB” of the coin's designer, Noel Galea Bason.

This 2-euro commemorative coin exists in three varieties. Those in the BU coincard were struck in Pessac and carry the mint's mark and that of mint master Yves Sampo (MT-20 G2). Coins in the ST coin set show an “F” in the lower star (MT-20 G3). Coins from roll stock carry no mintmark (MT-20 G1).

In northwestern Malta, near the small town of Żebbiegħ, stand the remains of Skorba — a temple complex whose settlement history reaches back far earlier than the island's better-known monuments. Excavations in the 1960s uncovered pottery and figurines showing that the site was already in use in the 5th millennium BC, centuries before the freestanding temples of the Maltese megalithic culture were built. Skorba consists of two adjoining temples, the older section of which is assigned to the so-called Ġgantija phase (c. 3600–3200 BC). One find from the site deserves special attention: an abstracted ceramic figure of the so-called Cycladic idol type, pointing to far-reaching cultural connections across the prehistoric Mediterranean.

Malta's prehistoric sites — which besides Skorba also include Ħaġar Qim, Mnajdra and the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum — have jointly been part of the UNESCO World Heritage since 1980. They are considered the oldest freestanding stone structures in the world and give Malta a special standing within European prehistory. With the 2-euro commemorative coin on Malta's prehistoric sites issued in 2020, the Maltese state honours Skorba as part of this extraordinary cultural heritage — a series that sharpens awareness of the sites' outstanding importance in a European and global context.