Site of groundbreaking archaeological find to be fenced off
New scientific discoveries show Malta's human history is at least 1,000 years older than previously thought
The Mellieħa site where groundbreaking archaeological remains were unearthed will soon be fenced off to preserve the space, the Culture Ministry said.
“All necessary permits are being secured as we speak for the immediate installation of temporary fencing,” a spokesperson for the ministry told Times of Malta on Thursday.
“These findings are significant, and we are focused on assisting with the site's preservation, as we eagerly anticipate any further discoveries made by this scientific consortium,” they said.
New scientific discoveries announced on Wednesday show that Malta's human history is at least 1,000 years older than previously thought.
It also means the first people to ever descend on the islands were hunter-gatherers, not the farmers described in school textbooks and museums.
The discovery also challenges the global scientific community’s belief that hunter-gatherers did not reach small and remote islands and changes the understanding of what these primitive communities were capable of.
In a statement, the Culture Ministry thanked all the professionals involved in the research, adding that the researchers from the Max Planck Institute and University of Malta were supported by Superintendence of Cultural Heritage officers.
Before fencing off the area, the Culture Ministry took preventive measures to lease the site from the Lands Authority, the ministry said.