On Good Friday 2001, Malta woke up to the shocking news that about 60 megaliths at the 5,000-year-old temples ofMnajdra had been toppled in an act of vandalism. The only silver lining to emerge from that catastrophic act was that it galvanised the then Nationalist administration into long overdue action to ensure the greater protection of Malta’s rich cultural heritage. Malta’s Cultural Heritage Act was born and, with it, the structures we enjoy today: Heritage Malta, the Cultural Heritage Superintendent and the Committee of Guarantee.
Earlier this month, the country was again shocked to learn that “irreparable damage” had been done to the 5,500 year-old megaliths at the Ġgantija temples in Gozo. While not as far-reaching as the wholesale knocking over of megaliths at Mnajdra 15 years ago, the damage is still extremely serious as the etching into the megalith cannot be repaired or removed.
A wanton and irresponsible act of carving names and love messages on the megaliths has tarnished forever a monument that is older than the Great Pyramid of Giza or Stonehenge. When security guards spotted what was being done and intervened, one of the two ‘vandals’ insisted they had done nothing wrong. They had simply done some “scribbling on an old piece of rock”, was the reaction.
The incident was captured on film via CCTV cameras and, if found guilty, the perpetrators could be sentenced to up to six years in jail for damaging a national monument. The police are investigating, though it is not known what stage they are in.
When this newspaper was looking into the incident the police had yet to decide about who to arraign. Wrongdoers must pay for their mistakes but, regrettably, whatever the courts decide – and it is to be hoped that a salutary punishment will be handed down - it will never undo the irreparable damage done to such an outstanding national monument.
But, beyond justice and punishment, there are other crucial issues: why should two mature people act in such an ignorant and uncivilised way? And what should the cultural heritage authorities do to ensure there is no repetition at any of Malta’s temple sites?
On the first question, one can hardly be surprised by the actions of narcissistic, ill-educated, self-centered people in today’s ill-disciplined world. In the age of social media, one would have hoped the couple would have resorted to declaring their puerile message of ‘undying love’ on Facebook or through Twitter rather than carving it in old-fashioned stone. In this regard, the court needs to send a clear message that such behaviour is unacceptable.
As to the actions of the heritage authorities, it would appear at first blush that the security guards and the technical surveillance arrangements in place operated successfully in catching the individuals concerned, albeit after the act had been committed.
The matter is too sensitive to be allowed to rest there. Could more be done to prevent such a thing from happening? How can Heritage Malta ensure, through greater education of visitors attending these historic sites, they understand they have an overriding duty of care to future generations to ensure these stones, part of the heritage of mankind, are treated with respect?
Justice and Culture Minister Owen Bonnici should instruct the Committee of Guarantee (which includes the Superintendent of Cultural Heritage) to conduct an urgent investigation and to report back to him with recommendations for improvements as soon as possible, unless that has already been done.