Waylon Johnston
Important archaeological find in Tarxien
Pottery shards date back to Temple Period
An archaeological discovery described as the most important in 18 years has been made at the site of the Tarxien temples.
Malta Environment Planning Authority (Mepa) officials discovered megaliths and other remains, which are most probably prehistoric, during development works within the buffer zone of the Neolithic temples.
The site was described by archaeologist Kevin Borda as the most important one since a burial ground was unearthed at the Brockdorff Circle in Xagħra in 1990. It lies within a plot of land measuring 25 by eight metres towards the back of the plot.
The megaliths and boulders were found together with pottery shards made up of rims, handles and bases in an area measuring roughly four by four metres. The shards have scratched and incised motifs which date them to the Temple Period.
The discovery was made during a routine inspection by the Heritage Planning Unit within the Forward Planning Division at Mepa, following the issue of a permit for the re-development of an existing building within the buffer zone. The zone was scheduled by Mepa in 1998.
During the inspection it was noted that demolition and site clearance works had uncovered a number of features which date back to 4,100-2,500 B.C.
"The importance of the site is enhanced by the possibility that there are other structures beneath the intensive building works that were carried out in the 1980s in the Tarxien area," Mr Borda said.
In line with the Cultural Heritage Act, 2002, Mepa has submitted the information to the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage which has confirmed the interpretation of the features as identified by the Heritage Planning Unit. The agencies are now collaborating to investigate the features and ensure their preservation.
Popular Stories
Update 3: Woman found dead in car,...
Updated: Woman dies in car crash
Part of Dwejra 'Azure window' collapses
Updated: Shot migrant in critical...
The end of the bar that ‘never closed’
Bundy does not know whether to...
This WAS the night - Kurt makes it...
Yana Mintoff: Family speaking to...
Petrol price up 6c
In Discussion
16 Comments
Post comment
Please sign in or create your Account to post comments.
John Schembri
Jul 11th 2008, 18:44
To put it mildly ,I am not impressed , the megalith on the left was obviously dented with an excavator and even the horizontal part of the dolmen seems to have similar marks.
Mepa showed something which it could not hide.
It is a place for a shovel , bucket and a brush.
Arthur Ellul
Jul 10th 2008, 16:59
In Hamrun we posses very limited structures dating back to the times of the knights of St John.
No1. is the underground and caverned aqueduct along St Joseph High Road up to Sarria.
No2. is the Wignacourt tower, (it turretta) in St Gaetan Str, sandwiched between two houses, and Mepa issued a full developement permit to one of these houses to construct an additional floor, Instead of demolishing these house so that this Wignacourt Tower can be brought to the attention of the general public.
No3. is the De Rohan obelisk, and here lies the big laugh. This Obelisk was constructed by Grand Master De Rohan to commemorate repairs on the aqueduct in 1790. This Obelisk is stacked in a backyard of a private garage, surrounded by other household backyards in St John Street. Nobody is aware not even heritage maltaof this landmark,log on to www.hamrun.com which is the Local Council's website where you can see some pictures of it. Affixed to this Obelisk is a marble plague commemorating this event bearing De Rohan's coat of arms.
A heritage site unknown to everybody, lying in private backyards, and Mepa issues permits for additional floors to houses surrounding these priceless structures.
Christina Borg
Jul 10th 2008, 00:44
Well done MEPA. We criticise you when necessary but full credit for this one.
Raymond Sammut
Jul 9th 2008, 16:09
Thank you, Maria Schembri. I honestly had no knowledge on this issue. I had always wondered how could it be that people should have to lose so much after having been honest and reported archaeological finds to the authorities.
It should be clear that more information and better education should be provided by the authorities to combat such misconceptions and to prevent the damage these keep causing.
Maria Schembri
Jul 9th 2008, 14:46
@ Ruben Anthony Xuereb
If you read closely the 2002 Cultural Heritage Act, you would know that the law in Malta states that the land will only be confiscated as a last resort, and only in very special cases (ex: if a hypogeum is found on your land), and the owner will be given in compensation the amount of money he would earn if that piece of land is developed!
Yours is a common misconception about how archaeology is conducted in Malta. Unless something out of the ordinary is found, investigations and surveys are done, and then the land is returned to the owner (some restrictions maybe placed, depending on the case).
Mario Debono
Jul 9th 2008, 14:21
A fair system should be devised whereby people who accidentally discover archaeological remains, when developing their property, are given an equivalent plot or amount of money instead.
Lots of harm has been committed to our national heritage in the past. Who can assure us that this harm is not still going on today? Most people would do their best to hide such discoveries fearing the confiscation of their property - whether this would actually be the case or not.
I have heard several ex-masons recounting how they were given orders from superiors (and probably authorities) to bury up such findings - on many occasions even during the night - in the 1960/70s in the Ggantija plot area, Xaghra, for example. The foundations of most of the buildings in the area must contain several precious information about our neolithic past. Pity it was destroyed and buried up, probably forever.
V. Gauci
Jul 9th 2008, 10:49
Well done to all the staff in the Heritage Planning Unit for the discovery.
Maria Spiteri
Jul 9th 2008, 08:20
Some important information about the case is missing for a reason or another. The actual facts : after that IHM officers from MEPA monitored works on site and noticed some pottery shards and megalithic structures, they contacted the Enforcement section (MEPA) for assistance. The Enforcement section spoke to the developer on the 25th June and informed him about the findings, something that he didn’t knew at all about, and instructed him to stop all the works in order to let proper investigation from IHM and Heritage being carried out. The developer abided immediately.
I think that this information which has been cut off from the story shows good co-ordination between different departments within MEPA and other authorities and gives merit to all the parties concerned. But for any reason the media doesn’t want to show this picture. When it’s about MEPA and it’s Enforcement it’s always BLACK!!
G C Dingli
Jul 9th 2008, 00:00
Great! MEPA give a permit in an archeological buffer zone. Then they notice some archeological remains after only God knows what what bulldozed away and they suddenly become heroes!
Why did they grant the permit in the first place?
Raymond Sammut
Jul 8th 2008, 20:52
@ David Stephen Ganado
I think that Liam Kelly can read English between the lines.
Luckily, Mepa has a unit called Heritage Planning Unit . From what I can understand, after reading this article, without such a unit every bit of stone, shard and pottery connected to our heritage would be bulldozed and destroyed forever.
Ruben Anthony Xuereb
Jul 8th 2008, 13:35
It is indeed scary to think how many remains have been buried in order to carry on development works and stop the authorities from confiscating the site.....However, if the same system as in other countries was applied in the past years, whereas the authorities reinburse the owner for the land and not just have him/her lose it to archeology, I'm sure, many more people would have come around with claims of archaeological finds. Land doesn't really come cheap to just give it up. I myself would be in a huge dilemma if it happened to me as on one hand I would love to make a discovery public...but who would pay me back for the land I would have heftily bought ???
liam kelly
Jul 8th 2008, 12:51
So what were these works Mr. Ganado and why were they being carried out in the first place?
stefania vella
Jul 8th 2008, 12:21
I pity the poor bloke who discovered these under his house! I bet he's going to have to double his excavation expenses and construction period. I wouldn't want to be in his place I tell you. This was done "following the issue of a permit for the re-development of an existing building ". What if people have purchased the new house (or whatever it's going to be) on plan? So what happens after this? Is the permit made false? Is the construction stopped? Did his land (available for development suddenly shrink) ? Who pays for this in the end? Poor bloke.
victor pulis
Jul 8th 2008, 11:05
I shudder to think what may lie beneath the buildings in the area and other places around Malta. The indescriminate construction particularly in the inner and outer harbour area has surely robbed us of archaelogical treasures beyond our imagination. it is common knowledge that there have been cases where remains have been discovered during excavations for buildings and these were quickly covered over in fear that the authorities would requisition the site. At least let us take care of what is left of our prehistoric heritage.
David Stephen Ganado
Jul 8th 2008, 10:25
@ L Kelly - Can you read English? It was the MEPA officials who discovered and stopped the works! Nowhere ni the article does it say or imply that MEPA wanted to build over them!
Liam Kelly
Jul 8th 2008, 09:33
In other words MEPA wanted to build over them ? typical.