In late neolithic times, Malta must have been an interesting place to be. It has some of the world's earliest monumental stone architecture. Despite being a very small group of islands, there are the remains of many stone temples, which seem associated with a mother goddess (obese statuettes of which have been found in the temples). This heavily eroded temple is called Hagar Qim, and was built around 2800 BC (before the pyramids of Egypt).