This article deals with a rectangular slab of white marble with a simple scene showing three male standing figures carved in very shallow relief against a neutral plain background. It was discovered somewhere within the confines of the ancient city of Melite, probably in the late 19th or early 20th century. The figured scene has always been associated with some Homeric theme or other, but lately a claim has been made that it represents a Mithraic cult scene. The following text intends to discuss this claim and provide a detailed analysis of the scene supported by detailed photographic images.

Malta Archaeological Review 2026, issue 14, https://doi.org/10.46651/mar.2026.1
Received: 14 April 2025 | Accepted: 22 May 2025 | Published online: 20 May 2026

The post A Homeric ambush: the capture and execution of a Trojan young man appeared first on The Archaeological Society Malta.

In many ways, the impact aviation has had upon Malta is obvious; one only has to see how its airport dominates Malta’s landscape, the importance of tourism to its economy (an industry almost wholly reliant upon civil aviation) or even walk into its capital to be confronted by the bombed remains of the Royal Opera House to evidence this. In this paper, in addition to briefly outlining some of the ways aviation has directly impacted upon the archaeology of Malta, its other more subtle, hidden and unacknowledged impacts will also be examined. In doing so, new information and insights are revealed to uncover the true depth of Malta’s aviation archaeological heritage, and how it continues to influence and shape Malta to this day.

Malta Archaeological Review 2024, issue 13, https://doi.org/10.46651/mar.2024.3
Received: 28 December 2023 | Accepted: 25 March 2024 | Published online: 12 April 2024

The post Hiding in plane sight: the unrecognised impact of aviation on the Maltese landscape appeared first on The Archaeological Society Malta.

As ancient burials constitute the bulk of archaeological evidence in the Maltese islands due to their degree of preservation and survival, the general typology of ancient tombs in these islands is quite well known. However, one type of ancient burial seems to stand out for its uniqueness in the Maltese islands, even though it seems to have been widespread in the Roman world. This is the burial known as ‘alla cappuccina’: a very simple burial that employs slabs or tiles set gable wise to cover the corpse beneath. Surviving documentation provides meagre representation of this burial type in the Maltese islands. So far, it had only been documented once in Gozo with another possible instance from Malta. Another burial of the same kind was discovered in Gozo in 1933. Yet, for some reason, it failed to attract any attention to the effect that it was only unofficially documented by means of a contemporary newspaper article. It is thanks to the latter, however, that the poor corpus of this type of burial in the Maltese islands is being enriched with another, better documented example. The current contribution also seeks to move a step further by putting this burial not only in its regional context, but also within the wider context of the contemporary Mediterranean and Roman world.

Malta Archaeological Review 2023, issue 13, https://doi.org/10.46651/mar.2024.1
Received: 3 September 2023 | Accepted: 2 December 2023 | Published online: 12 April 2024

The post A burial ‘alla cappuccina’ discovered on the north-western outskirts of Victoria, Gozo appeared first on The Archaeological Society Malta.

A badly damaged Roman marble base now in Valletta, Malta, was first published in 1647 and then in 1787. It has been neglected since, mainly because there have been doubts about whether or not it is a genuine antiquity. This study argues for its authenticity, and contextualizes the relief sculpture that decorates three of its sides. The front carries a depiction of Sicilia, the personification of the Roman province of Sicily to which the Maltese Islands belonged. The image is set in context within the small group of known personifications of Sicilia elsewhere. Identical side panels each show a man with what is interpreted here as a turtle balanced on his knee, an apparently unique depiction of these creatures in Roman sculpture. It is suggested that turtles, now scarce in the Mediterranean, were once plentiful in the waters off both Malta and Sicily. In a secondary period, perhaps in the late eighteenth century, the base was badly mutilated during its conversion for use as a fountain. Whether it ever functioned as such is uncertain.

Malta Archaeological Review 2022, issue 13, https://doi.org/10.46651/mar.2023.2
Received: 11 April 2023 | Accepted: 4 July 2023 | Published online: 10 October 2023

The post A forgotten Roman marble base in the National Museum of Archaeology appeared first on The Archaeological Society Malta.

A sketch book by Filippo Vassallo is a primary source for late nineteenth-century documentation of archaeological sites in the Maltese Islands. Other than revealing the documentation process behind the first plan of St Paul’s Catacombs (Malta), the extensive use of surveying and the attention for detail make the sketch book an important witness to the evolving contemporary Maltese recording of archaeological finds. It also throws light on how A. A. Caruana’s 1898 book on Maltese ancient burial sites was put together.

Malta Archaeological Review 2022, issue 13, https://doi.org/10.46651/mar.2023.1
Received: 8 November 2022 | Accepted: 1 June 2023 | Published online: 10 October 2023

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The Maltese Islands in the central Mediterranean are renowned for their prehistoric archaeological record, particularly the megalithic ‘temples’ and associated ceramics and artwork. The temples were built by a society lacking metal technology, who relied on stone and organic materials. Knapped stone tool (lithic) technology, to produce sharp edged tools for tasks like cutting, hide working, and wood shaping offers insights into human behaviour in Malta, as well as into themes of exchange and connectivity. As well as imported chert and obsidian, local chert was widely used to make stone tools in prehistoric Malta. The local chert has generally been described as low-quality, yet relatively little research has been conducted on its distribution, characteristics, and use. In this paper I report a survey of chert sources, identifying a wider distribution of chert outcrops along the west coast of Malta than previously discussed. Some general macroscopic properties are outlined, as well as aspects of variability in the chert sources. Knapping experiments were then conducted on samples of chert collected, allowing clarification of its characteristics. These observations are used to offer some insights into lithic technology in Neolithic and Temple Period Malta, such as the hypothesis that the high frequencies of multidirectional flake production and subsequent ‘scraper retouch’ reflect adaptations to the characteristics of local chert.

Malta Archaeological Review 2022, issue 13, https://doi.org/10.46651/mar.2022.1
Received: 9 Augist 2021 | Accepted: 25 July 2022 | Published online: 5 December 2022

The post Maltese chert: An archaeological perspective on raw material and lithic technology in the central Mediterranean appeared first on The Archaeological Society Malta.

In 2010 a magnetometer survey was conducted off the north-eastern coast of Malta, concentrating on Mellieħa and Salina bays. The aim was to identify potential target anomalies along the shoreline, with areas of interest marked in both bays. Ground-truthing surveys conducted by divers in Mellieħa Bay in 2011 and 2012 confirmed the presence of scattered cultural remains, and allowed for the re-identification of the so-called ‘Mortar Wreck’ site, first excavated by Honor Frost in 1967. A follow-up magnetometer survey was conducted in 2014 within the context of the University of Malta underwater field school, and consequently resulted in the exclusion of Salina Bay for further survey. The 2014 survey concentrated on Mellieħa bay and sought to further positively identify or reject potential anomalies first documented in the 2010 survey. The 2014 survey results revealed the possibility of substantial target anomalies within the bay.

Malta Archaeological Review 2021, issue 12, https://doi.org/10.46651/mar.2021.7
Received: 16 February 2021 | Accepted: 9 June 2021 | Published online: 6 October 2021

The post A report on the magnetometer survey results off the north-eastern coast of Malta 2010-2014: Mellieħa Bay, Salina Bay, and St Paul’s Bay appeared first on The Archaeological Society Malta.

Epigraphic and other evidence would seem to underscore the popularity Julia Domna enjoyed amongst the Gozitans as much as she did amongst other communities in the Roman Empire. Her motherhood – both real and metaphorical – did not only play an important role in securing her subjects’ loyalty but was also crucial for the promotion of the imperial family’s dynasty. In this respect, dedications to her and to other members of her family might feature on one and the same monument, as might have been the case concerning one such presumed, partially-surviving monument from Gozo.

Malta Archaeological Review 2021, issue 12, https://doi.org/10.46651/mar.2021.5
Received: 2 February 2020 | Published online: 25 January 2021

The post Julia Domna, her maternal ideology and the Municipium of Gozo appeared first on The Archaeological Society Malta.

The Early Neolithic of the Maltese Islands is mostly known for its ceramics, with more substantial remains in the Skorba phase. However, the ceramics provide insight into communities. This paper traces the making of pots in the Early Neolithic, focusing on how a study of technology is also a study of people and their practices. In particular, it shows how an examination of tools used to decorate pottery reveals social and technological choices by local inhabitants.

Malta Archaeological Review 2021, issue 12, https://doi.org/10.46651/mar.2021.4
Received: 8 September 2020 | Published online: 25 January 2021

The post Ceramic production techniques and decorative motifs in the Early Neolithic of the Maltese Islands appeared first on The Archaeological Society Malta.

This report focuses on the Mellieħa Bay wreck, a third-century Roman shipwreck first investigated by Honor Frost in the late 1960s. In 2013 and 2014 field schools organised by the University of Malta with the support of the Honor Frost Foundation sought to uncover what remained of the wreck, including any material culture still present. It also sought to investigate the site formation processes. A magnetometer survey revealed the location of a number of target anomalies. It could be determined that the wreck area is highly dynamic, with the scattered nature of the finds reflecting a high-energy zone, which periodically exposed the objects on the seabed. Between 2013 and 2014 it was noted that material remains were re-deposited in the wreck area over the winter months. The growth of Poseidonia oceanica eventually stabilised the site, and the location of recovered finds at the bottom of Poseidonia mattes points towards the high potential of material evidence still located within or under the mattes, as revealed in the magnetometer survey. The recovered material culture points towards a culturally homogenous site with all objects dating to the third century AD.

Malta Archaeological Review 2021, issue 12, https://doi.org/10.46651/mar.2021.3
Received: 3 June 2020 | Published online: 25 January 2021

The post Revisiting the Mellieħa Bay Wreck: A report on two seasons of survey and excavation (2013-2014) appeared first on The Archaeological Society Malta.

The authors visited Hal Resqun on the day of its rediscovery in August 2006. It was brought to light again in the course of road works in the vicinity of Gudja and is below the roundabout near Malta International Airport.  The catacomb was first excavated and the plan drawn up by Temi Zammit in 1912 (Fig.1).[1] It was investigated in 1934 when the plan was modified by C.G. Zammit.[2]  In his original report, Temi Zammit noted that the catacomb had already been disturbed during the laying of a water pipe in 1887.[3] In 1975 it was covered over in the course of road works.  Located once more in October 1978, it was sealed with corrugated iron and a concrete slab, leaving an entrance through a manhole. Unfortunately, soil was deposited over the area and the exact site of the catacomb could no longer be identified.

Access is down a short flight of steps which now lie four courses below road level. The doorway is flanked on the left by two engaged columns, one in the Doric style, the other with twisted fluting (Fig.2). Over the entrance, within an apsed arch is a carving of two birds facing each other, head to head, almost certainly a peahen and a peacock which seem to be feeding a chick (Fig.3). Since pharaonic times, the peacock has been considered a symbol of immortality. In some cultures the spots on its fan tail were seen to evoke the stars in the heavens. It is one of the many symbols which slipped seamlessly from pagan to Christian iconography.

This small hypogeum presents a number of features which are uncommon within Maltese catacomb contexts. One of these is the unusual number of fluted columns and pilasters, most of them short and in unusual positions. At the foot of the steps is a small chamber (A). Facing the entrance is a window tomb (B). Another window tomb (C) lies to the right of the entrance and a triclinium (D) is located between the two tombs.

Window tomb (B) is flanked by fluted pilasters, the lower part having twisted fluting, the upper part being of the Doric type (Fig.4). There is also an interesting circular decoration in the middle of the left hand pilaster, partly missing from the right hand side where the stone is broken off. Over the square-headed doorway is a carving which includes three fish, three heads (one upside down) flanked by outstretched arms, a fan-like design, perhaps representing a bird with open wings, and a number of animals, some upside down in a mirror image position (Fig.5). Temi Zammit, giving it a Christian interpretation, referred to the “Biblical scene of creation”,[4] the “Biblical account of God’s Creation of the World”.[5] For Zammit, the central figure was “the figure of God with outstretched arms”[6] and the “Almighty”[7].  The other two figures are referred to as Adam and Eve in 1912 and as “our progenitors” in 1934.  All three might, in fact, be orant figures. However, the tradition of the orant figure goes back to prehistory and was certainly present in Greco-Roman funerary iconography so their presence in this carving is no guarantee of its Christian connection. Over this carving is a running pattern of arrowhead design.

The tomb contains a double grave with deep U-shaped headrests. Both plans record a round hole between the headrests, no longer visible because of accumulated debris. This end of the grave is flanked by short fluted pilasters beneath a small apse. Facing the entrance to this tomb is a rectangular pottery shelf also flanked by pilasters with twisted fluting, and two lampholes. Very unusual are the fluted pilasters at the other end, flanking another apse. Both apses still show faint incisions of a scallop shell motif.

The entrance to window tomb (C) is also flanked by pilasters. It has an apsed arch over the headrests, with a clearly defined incised scallop shell, and fluted pilasters on either side of two U-shaped headrests (Fig.6). Between the headrests is a round hole. Facing the entrance is a rectangular pottery shelf with fluted pilasters, now hardly visible. There is a lamphole on either side. At the far end is an apsed arch, cut through by a modern wall and a sizeable pipe.

A step on the left leads up to the triclinium[8] (D) which is now truncated by a wall (Fig.7).In Zammit’s 1912 plan the rim was already missing on the left and round the back.[9] The table would seem to have been U-shaped. It has a rounded shoulder on the left, upon which there would originally have been a sharp rim. On the right, the rim is still present but the rounded shoulder is missing. This may have been removed when the seat on the right was cut into the platform. Faint parallel grooves are scored along the top of the rim, a feature not seen before by the present authors. There is no opening or channel in the rim, a feature of almost all the tables in Maltese catacombs. The familiar concave indentation in the front of the table is another common feature which is missing here. Decorating the vertical right outer edge of the table is a carving in a V-shaped pattern, never encountered before in such a context. This may have been added when alterations were made to the right hand side of the platform at some later stage. It is likely that the headroom in front of window tomb (C) was raised at the same time.

While seats are present in some catacombs, these are usually single or facing each other on either side of the table. In this case, the seats do not face the same direction.  The one on the left (E) faces the entrance to tomb (C), while the one on the right (F) faces the chamber. In addition, the actual seats, rather than being flat, have a depression cut into the surface which creates a low backrest. The seat on the left presents the unusual feature of carved diagonal fluting along the top and Doric fluting on the vertical edge.

Dating the Maltese catacombs is always problematic. Zammit records that fragments of glass and pottery found in the catacomb “were also of the late Roman period”,[10] which would give the latest date, though vague, for the use of the catacomb but would not give any indication of when it was originally hewn and how long it was in use. Despite Zammit’s confident assertion in 1912 and in 1934 that the catacomb is Christian, the iconography does not indicate in any certain way that it was originally cut or ever used for Christian burial.

[1] Museum Annual Reports 1912-1913, p. 7

[2] Bulletin of the Museum, 1934, p.190.

[3] T. Zammit, Archaeological Field-Notes (Notebook No. 3 1909-1912) f. 125

[4] Museum Annual Reports 1912-1913, p. 7.

[5] T. Zammit in Bulletin of the Museum, 1934, p.193.

[6] Museum Annual Reports 1912-1913, p. 7.

[7] T. Zammit in Bulletin of the Museum, 1934, p. 193.

[8] The triclinium is understood to be a raised, semi-circular, sloping platform surrounding a table with a rim, usually set within a flattened arch. The whole area is cut out of the solid rock.

[9] There appear to be some discrepancies between the plan by C.G. Zammit in the Bulletin of the Museum 1934 and that of T. Zammit in the Museum Annual Reports 1912-13. For example, in the 1934 version,  the table rim appears to be complete; the tomb cut into the back of the triclinium is missing as is the step to the left of the triclinium which is still extant today.

[10] Museum Annual Reports 1912-1913, p. 7

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This research focuses on the collection of firilli boats found at the Maritime Museum in Vittoriosa, Malta. The objectives were to document and record this boat type, by collecting knowledge from oral traditions and literature, paintings and photographs, tools and materials and ideologies. An environmental and historical background is outlined at the beginning of this study, providing the context for the firilla boat. Following this, previous literature dealing with documentation of traditional craft is presented. The methodology applied to document the primary sources is explained, along with a brief description of the secondary data collection. The subsequent section describes the results of the boat documentation, leading to a discussion of the most prominent differences.

The post Documenting the last surviving traditional boats on the Maltese Islands: a case study on the firilla – appeared first on The Archaeological Society Malta.

The post A stratigraphic study of the giren at ix-Xagħra l-Ħamra, limits of Mellieħa, Malta appeared first on The Archaeological Society Malta.

Of all the abundant papers focusing on museum environments, few dismantle the decisionmaking process which characterizes the planning of displays and site presentations, going beyond space restrictions and physical needs of ancient artefacts. Such an approach is essential to understand why these decisions matter. A natural question which is seldom asked is, why display to the public in the first place? The present paper will start with this question, discussing briefly the two main theoretical stances in current western discourse on the subject. Two local case-studies will follow, supplemented by examples of projects which revolve around archaeology and communities. In the conclusion, theory and case-studies will be brought together in order to explain the link between archaeologists and nonarchaeologists vis-à-vis archaeological heritage presentation.

The post Deciding what to exhibit in museums: does it really matter? appeared first on The Archaeological Society Malta.

This paper argues that the institution of the Missione Archeologica Italiana a Malta in 1963 is the offspring of the archaeological policies endorsed by the Nationalist Party (PN) that guided Malta to Independence. By looking at the archaeological debate in 1950s – early 1960s Malta this paper suggests that the revival of post-prehistoric studies by the Italians suited the cultural aspirations of the PN government and provided an effective answer to the colonial control of the discipline set out earlier by the British with the Malta Ancient Monuments Survey.

The post Archaeology and archaeological discourse in pre-Independence Malta appeared first on The Archaeological Society Malta.

The nineteenth century witnessed an explosion in the use of glass as a material from which containers and tableware were made. No longer confined to the packaging and consuming of liquids, a wealth of products were packaged in branded and patented containers. This article presents an initial analysis of glass recovered from archaeological investigations at the Inquisitor’s Palace, Vittoriosa, which in the second half of the nineteenth century was an army mess house and officers’ quarters. Focusing on function, key groups of glass finds are described. Where possible, brands and manufacturers are contextualised through  complementary documentary sources, providing a broader focus and relevance to the material. From baby food jars to hard liquor bottles, the glass finds present a picture of daily life that stretches beyond typical views of military life and highlights the importance of glass finds to understanding post-medieval contexts.

The post A functional analysis of glass from an officers’ mess, Malta appeared first on The Archaeological Society Malta.

Possibly late during the Roman occupation of Malta, a young deceased girl had a funerary monument set up in her memory by her loving mother. Analysis of both epigraphic content and iconographic elements on this monument would show that the mother, at least, is likely to have been originally a public slave but later achieved manumission, a status which remained to be enjoyed by herself and by her daughter. Moreover, they seem to have adhered to the then commonly held beliefs regarding the nature of death and afterlife. Yet, identifying their beliefs on the nature of death and afterlife did not prove sufficient to determine their religious identity as such beliefs were evidently shared by different religious groups.

The post Religious identity and perceptions of afterlife gleaned from a funerary monument to a young girl from (late) Roman Melite appeared first on The Archaeological Society Malta.

The alleged inscriptions in the south-east hypogeum of Taċ-Ċagħqi (within the premises of St Nicholas College in Rabat, Malta) were discussed in depth by Mons. Benedetto Rocco in 1972. Rocco interpreted the glyphs as Neo-Punic, with a long ‘inscription’ supposedly consisting of a prayer to appease the deceased through the offering of a gift, and an alleged minor ‘inscription’ addressing the dead to ‘rise’. These readings were discussed against the notion of possible libation rites that may have been a custom within the hypogeum, as suggested by the tomb furniture in situ. Rocco based his readings of the script and types of letters on his previous study of further alleged Punic and Neo-Punic inscriptions within cave sites in Palermo and Favignana (Sicily), in combination with semantic analysis of Biblical Hebrew. Nevertheless, the supposed Taċ-Ċagħqi inscriptions come across as ambiguous sets of glyphs that are illegible, and actually cannot be deemed Punic or Neo-Punic script.

The post A farewell to Neo-Punic: Taċ-Ċagħqi revisited appeared first on The Archaeological Society Malta.

This paper reconsiders the Late Neolithic of the Maltese Islands from a broader perspective. It argues that the prevailing narrative centred on passively inherited cultural baggage obscures the dynamic narrative created by the ancient inhabitants. It is argued that a fuller understanding of the period requires an engagement with concepts of time and tradition, which are seen here on multiple scales. This enables a fuller reading of the period, particularly in terms of how people created and redefined time.

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