▁Santa ▁V erna ▁was ▁originally ▁a ▁pre histor ic ▁village , ▁and ▁the ▁earliest ▁pot tery ▁remains ▁date ▁back ▁to ▁around ▁ 5 0 0 0 ▁BC , ▁during ▁the ▁G ħ ar ▁Dal am ▁phase . ▁The ▁temple ▁itself ▁was ▁built ▁in ▁the ▁following ▁centuries ▁and ▁it ▁had ▁a ▁t ref o il ▁shape , ▁which ▁was ▁typical ▁of ▁the ▁time . ▁In ▁its ▁he yd ay , ▁Santa ▁V erna ▁was ▁probably ▁an ▁important ▁temple , ▁which ▁riv aled ▁other ▁major ▁tem ples ▁such ▁as ▁ Ġ g ant ija , ▁Tar x ien ▁and ▁ Ħ a ġ ar ▁Q im . ▁ ▁The ▁only ▁remains ▁of ▁the ▁temple ▁that ▁surv ive ▁today ▁are ▁three ▁u pr ight ▁meg al ith s , ▁another ▁three ▁horizontal ▁blocks ▁l ining ▁their ▁eastern ▁side , ▁and ▁the ▁earth ▁floor ▁which ▁makes ▁it ▁possible ▁to ▁see ▁the ▁temple ' s ▁original ▁outline . ▁ ▁Ex c av ations ▁The ▁meg al ith ic ▁remains ▁at ▁Santa ▁V erna ▁were ▁found ▁by ▁Nik ola ▁Sa id , ▁a ▁worker ▁at ▁the ▁Public ▁Works ▁Department . ▁They ▁were ▁also ▁noted ▁by ▁the ▁arch ae ologist ▁Manuel ▁Mag ri ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁The ▁site ▁was ▁exc av ated ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 8 ▁by ▁T . ▁Eric ▁Pe et , ▁and ▁again ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 1 ▁by ▁Thomas ▁Ash by ▁and ▁R . ▁N . ▁Brad ley . ▁During ▁the ▁exc av ations , ▁two ▁complete ▁ske