The site was accidentally discovered in June 1993 in the course of road improvement within the Enemalta compound at Marsa, in the district of Qbajjar, which forms part of the inner Grand Harbour waterfront. The passage of heavy machinery provoked the uncovering of a rectangular rock-cut cavity, which was seen to contain a mass of skeletal material. The discovery was brought to the attention of the Museums Department, which immediately recognised the archaeological value of this discovery.

Personnel from the National Museum of Archaeologist carried out a preliminary study of the site from the 4th to the 14th of June 1993, followed by a more extensive investigation from 30th July to 24th September 1993. An area of about 125 meters square has been subjected to a stratigraphic investigation, that has led to the discovery of two distinct structures datable to the Middle Ages, in spite of the extensive modern disturbance caused by the activity of the heavy machinery at the moment of the site’s discovery.

A preliminary study of the results obtained by the present investigations seem to suggest that the site at Qbajjar has had three major periods of use, described in brief below. However it must be noted that the scheme here being proposed may have to be altered once detailed analysis of the excavation results (to be initiated in the course of 1994) will have been completed. This is particularly true for the dating being proposed in the present note.

Phase 1 – The remains of two distinct structures were encountered with immediately over bedrock. There is strong stratigraphic evidence suggesting that both structures were in use at the same time, and must therefore two parts of a much larger settlement. All the recognizable ceramics recovered from the excavation of the two structures seem to belong to the late 12th to the early 13th Centuries. It is therefore reasonable to believe that the settlement identified at Qbajjar is of Late Norman origin.

The structure uncovered in the northern section of the excavation seems to have employed a rather complex building technique utilising stone masonry for its exterior walls and compressed earth for the internal walls. The floors of this structure, although rather damaged by the recent action of heavy machinery, consisted of a lime-based mortar spread. The two principle characteristics of the structure’s plan are its inclusion of an apsed-space with an east/north-east orientation and the rectangular rock-cut feature mentioned above. On excavation this last feature was found to contain the disarticulated skeletal remains of more than two persons, and must be interpreted as being a collective burial or, more likely, an ossuary. In view of these characteristics, it is highly probable that these remains originally belonged to a medieval chapel.
To the north of this first structure the remains of an extensive level surface have been uncovered. The surface was formed partly by cutting away the bedrock in those places where the nature slope of the hill was too high, and partly by laying out earth and rocks to level out any natural depressions in the rock. No evidence of masonry construction has been found in this area, nor was any roof or wall collapse at all identifiable. In the course of excavating this area, large quantities of ceramics were recovered, representing both domestic vessels as well as numerous amphorae (that is large commercial vessels). The interpretation of this northern construction is not too clear, however in view of its position on the Marsa coastline, it is probable that it is part of a Medieval waterfront platform or quay.

Phase 2 – The structures belonging to Phase 1 were apparently abandoned, the walls of the south structure collapsed, while the platform to its north was allowed to cover up with debris. However the abandonment of the site was not a complete one, as the ruins of the south structure were employed as a short-lived cemetery, not too long after its collapse (possibly in the 13th/14th Cents?). In fact the articulate skeletal remains of three adults and one newborn infant were found inhumed in the collapse layers of this structure. The choice of this ruin as a burial site, seems to confirm the earlier interpretation that the south structure was in fact a chapel.

Phase 3 – The site appears to have received no major occupation until early modern times (possibly the 18th or the 19th Century) when a road surface was constructed over the ruins, followed by the eventual development in the later 19th Century of the Marsa coastline as a commercial and residential suburb for the Valletta and Drydocks area.