Current rehabilitation works in Vittoriosa have turned up what is believed to be a countermine dating back to the period of the Knights of St John.

Vittoriosa is currently undergoing extensive rehabilitation and embellishment works as part of “The conservation and rehabilitation of the Historical Fortifications of Malta” project, which also includes Mdina and the Cittadella in Gozo.

The Vittoriosa works include the reinstatement of the original ditch at the Couvre Porte in Triq it-8 tà Diċembru. During these works, a previously unrecorded rectangular rock-cut pit located just outside the ditch wall - believed to be a countermine, was discovered.

The explosives, that would be in the cut in the rock, would be triggered by the weight of the passing enemy.

The works on the Lorenzo Calleja ditch in Mdina unearthed several trenches running parallel to the ditch itself and the purpose of which is yet unclear. Two water cisterns have also been discovered, together with an underground gallery, having an opening of two metres in height and 0.6 metres in width.

The Mdina ditch project involved the scientific excavation of an artillery barrel, which could be likened to counterparts found in Spain. This semi-circular structure, with a platform measuring around 12 meters in diameter, is composed of a highly compacted mix of rubble and earth, held together with courses of medieval ashlar blocks.

The structure, located at the foot of the rampart, served as an annexed gun platform to the defensive system of the bastion - a sort of added fire power.

The supervision of the rehabilitation works has been entrusted to a team of archaeologists from AIS Archaeology, part of the AIS Group of Companies. The monitoring team is working in collaboration with the Restoration Unit, under the direction of the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage.

aisenvironmental.com/heritage