Prehistoric site discovered in Tas-Srug area of Xaghra

The museums department this week confirmed the discovery of another prehistoric site in Gozo, located in the district of Tas-Srug on the Xaghra plateau.

The visible remains suggest that it is an early neolithic site whose origins clearly date to around 5200 BC, if not slightly earlier. Zebbug Phase pottery suggest that the site remained in use well up to 4000 BC, the beginning of the temple period, it said.

A provisional field surface survey revealed that the site may have remained in use well into later stages of Maltese prehistory. Pottery scatters of a more recent date suggest that the site may even have been in use during the Classical period. The fact that the location is very close to the ridge of a fertile valley and a good water source underlines the importance of the area.

Museums department officials noted that a number of fields close to SRG 2002 are marked by scatters of prehistoric pottery, flaked pebbles and flint blades, items that are all indicative that the archaeological remains may be more extensive than currently believed to be. The site appears to be a small part of what may in future turn out to be a more extensive prehistoric settlement.

For many years, various locations within this area have attracted interest, but there have been no conclusive steps to uncover its importance, the department said.

The museums annual report for 1938 and 1939 noted that a gray deposit containing fragments of neolithic pottery and animal bones was found in the area. At the time, farmers clearing field soil for cutting vine trenches reported the discovery to a certain Fr Francesco Mercieca who in turn informed the government authorities. For some reason the site could not be properly investigated, it said.

During the mid-1980s another plot of land at Tas-Srug was excavated by Ms Martha Moliter.

Mr J. Attard, who assisted Ms Moliter at the time, informed the museums department that apart from a few references to a neighbouring plot in a university dissertation, no archaeological field notes have been left for the benefit of Maltese scholars. An excavation report had not been produced or published. Consequently, it has not even been possible to relate the location of the 1938 discovery with that of the Moliter site.

Mr Attard has confirmed that the current discovery (now referred to as SRG 2002 by the museums department) is a few metres away from the Moliter excavation site which appears to be still intact as a plot of land.

The area of Tas-Srug is quite extensive with various portions of land being used for either agriculture or development.

One particular parcel of land has recently been earmarked for development, with relevant applications being made to the Planning Authority. The Grupp Arkeologiku Malti, through Dr Anton Bugeja, discussed the matter with the museums department and Malta Environment and Planning Authority officials.

The MEPA and the museums department coordinated a consultation process in order to ascertain the nature of the current discovery at Tas-Srug. An Archaeological impact assessment has been commissioned and is currently being concluded.

Although the museums department will await the outcome of the archaeological impact assessment, steps will be taken to recommend protective zones in the area. For the time being, SRG 2002 will be covered up for protection purposes and placed under surveillance.

Currently, approval was confirmed for two house developments in areas ascertained to contain no archaeological deposits.

However, it is becoming increasingly evident that other development applications will not receive museums department approval.

Unlike the previous development applications, the remaining development requests will lead to a total destruction of the newly identified archaeological remains.

The museums department has conducted its own site inspections of the development plots over the past few weeks. During these inspections, the antiquity of the site and the nature of the archaeological remains have been ascertained.

SRG 2002 has already yielded a few important finds, which although modest in nature are scientifically important for local archaeology.

Ghar Dalam phases pottery, a flint blade as well as a grinding quern with a rubber stone have been identified. These finds are very much in keeping with an early agricultural settlement of the period.

Agriculture is known to have reached the southern areas of Italy around 5500 BC or slightly earlier. The phenomenon is represented by impressed ware, from which Ghar Dalam phase ceramics are known to be derived. The first farming practices in the Maltese islands have been dated to 5200 BC. Farming appears to have been adopted from the south-east area of Sicily, where the Stentinello type of pottery shares close affinities with that of the Ghar Dalam phase.