Season Team

• AIAC_1154 - Ta Qali - 2007
  The site in question is currently being developed by the United States of America for the construction of a new Embassy in Malta. Early 2007 a report by the Works Division notified the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage regarding some exposed circular holes during site clearance. Following monitoring by SCH several more circular holes were exposed. In July 2007 a group of archaeologists led by Clive Vella commenced the archaeological excavations of two areas in a site measuring about 200 by 300 m. In the northern part of the site 18 circular pits were excavated. These pits were mutilated through extensive site quarrying, however, their bottle neck shape in section could be made out in the better preserved ones. One of the pits contained a Bronze Age deposit (Borg In-Nadur phase) indicating towards the possibility that the pits were excavated during prehistory and reutlized at a later stage. All of the other pits were infilled with Roman Imperial material dated to 1st century BC. The Roman deposits can be divided into two types: middens and quarrying waste. The midden deposits contained some imported fine wares particularly black slip plates and cup, possibly hailing from Syracuse. Albeit, labour intensive the quarrying waste deposits repeatedly yielded well weather rocks mutilated in a sub angular manner. Considering both deposit types it was possible to interprate that a nearby structure or set of structures were being dismantled whilst a settlement was installed in the Roman Imperial era. Going around this circular pits area was a rut road that ranged in preservation due to weathering and quarrying. This alignment was followed for 35 m and clearly went around the pits. From British era ordinance survey sheets it has become possible to foresee the alignment. We are currently overlying maps to confirm the route. On the southern side of the ruts a series of vine trenches were uncovered and excavated. Their infilling red soil was of a peaty matrix with some small Roman pottery recovered. Surely, this find can be associated to the previous mention of a Roman Imperial setttlement. Furthermore, to the south surrounded, and somewhat damaged by quarries are a series of mutilated tombs. These chamber tombs had been quarried for about one metre, and therefore, they lacked roofs. Unfortunately the benches for the dead were for the most part cleared, however, our team ostheologist managed to recover bone material from the gutter trenches with some Late Classical to Early Medieval ceramics. The analysis of the bones is being undertaken currently. All in all the site of Ta\' Qali yielded a very interesting set of sites that clearly \'lived\' with each other.
• AIAC_1177 - Tal-Mintna (MNT 2008) - 2008
  Archaeological excavations were undertaken as per development activity. Two mutilated tombs, part of a larger catacomb complex, were uncovered in the south eastern periphery of the plot. Being previously looted these tombs were excavated in February 2008. Six circular pits, probably vats, were also uncovered in the plot. These vats appear to be linked by a series of channels. The report writing for this activity is currently undergoing.
• AIAC_1678 - Mdina (MDN 2008) - 2008
  From the information obtained till present day, it is clear that following the battlement of the late Byzantine period, a further semicircular structure / barbican was constructed in medieval times. It is not sure whether the battlement and the semicircular structure co-existed (still to be defined). However as discussed onsite with Dr Spiteri (Restoration Unit) following the knights’ major additions of the bastions in the 16th century, it is likely possible that the semicircular structure was dismantled during this period since it was within shot range of the newly added fortifications. The battlement was partially exposed again at a later stage when in the 18th century a buttress was added beneath Verdala Palace.
• AIAC_684 - Zejtun Villa - 2006
  The Roman villa lies within the grounds of the Carlo Diacono state secondary school for girls in Żejtun. Traces of ancient masonry were discovered in 1960 when land was being cleared for the construction of a new village school. Archaeological excavations were taken up in 1964 when a large cistern with water channels leading to it was uncovered, together with a stone paved area. The cistern, whose roof was supported on three arches, contained an accumulation of debris. In 1972 excavations were resumed, _revealing_ various parts of the stone apparatus used in Roman times for the production of olive oil. These include a large stone block used as counterweight for the pressing wooden beam, a section of the press bed, and a stone vat. A second cistern was discovered, as well as two rock-cut “silo-pits” containing Bronze Age pottery. Short excavation campaigns were conducted up to 1976 showing that the remains belong to a typical Roman rustic villa containing a residential area with an area for pressing olive oil. A detailed report of the excavations was never published.