Prehistoric tombs on public view
Prehistoric tombs discovered recently in Kerċem have just been opened to the public, with remains and tools found at the site going on display.
The tombs, which date back to between 3,000 and 2,500 BC, were found in 2008 during extension works on the Kerċem parish hall. They were excavated over the past year by the Superintendence of National Heritage. The site consists of two round tombs, along with a small room inside one of them.
The Superintendence will carry out radiocarbon dating to establish the precise age of the find as well as conducting DNA and pottery studies. The individual age of each skeleton will be established and any pathological indications noted.
Plans are in the pipeline for a permanent museum at the site.
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Alex Ellul
Mar 18th 2010, 15:49
What incentive is there to study archeology? The only job you can get with such a degree is that of a civil servant, commencing with some ridiculous grade earning a ridiculous salary, increasing ridiculously every year, taking a decade or more to reach your maximum, by which time, the system would have turned you into a glorified filing clerk. Lets begin with paying an attractive salary in the first place. They don't do missionaries any more.
Joseph Schembri
Mar 18th 2010, 11:19
Our historical heritage is amazingly rich yet we have a paucity of trained Archeologists. I know only two personally. One, a young brilliant scholar graduated from the university of Malta and then obtained his doctorate from Oxford. It is a pity that he works mostly in the middle east now. Luckily he does give some lectures at the University of Malta. The other, a woman, graduated from the university of Malta in archeology but sadly is not involved in any way in archeology, but is well known for her blog, more the pity.
I think Maltese society should try and get some return for the free education it offered such individuals.