Ta' Bistra catacombs rediscovered

Part of a network of "world heritage" catacombs that archaeologists had thought was lost under a stretch of road close to Mount St Joseph, in Mosta has been rediscovered during works to upgrade the road system.

The area where the 2,000-year-old catacombs are located is known as Ta' Bistra. The catacombs network - once used as a burial ground - is cut into a ridge or terrace in the landscape and is about 100 metres long, most of which runs under a field. The terrace is 3.7 metres high.

The whole network was recorded and drawn by Charles Zammit in 1933. But by then the site had long been looted because the Knights of St John used to issue licences for treasure hunting.

Capt. Zammit, then curator of archaeology, was the son of the famous doctor turned archaeologist Temi Zammit.

The road being dug up where the catacombs have been found is called Francesco Napuljun Tagliaferro. The upgrading works are being financed under the Fifth Italian Financial Protocol.

The Times was alerted to this find by Anton Zarb, one of its readers. The part uncovered during the recent digging up of the road measures about 15 - 20 metres.

Tony Pace, Superintendent of Cultural Heritage, said that the catacombs represent a most important phase in the history of Christianity and are of world heritage status.

The only thing is that while catacombs in Rome, Naples and Sicily were already on the map of historic landmarks, the ones in Malta were not treated with the same reverence.

None of the catacombs found in Malta were recorded scientifically except the ones at Tal-Barrani which were excavated by Mr Pace in 1993 but which have since been buried under a new road.

Mr Pace explained that the monumentality of the catacombs at Ta' Bistra indicate the great respect in which the people living in the settlement close by held their dead.

Unlike the catacombs in Rabat that were dug underground, the ones at Ta' Bistra were cut by means of tunnelling in the face of the ridge.

"It is, therefore, extremely important when checking maps to see where development is possible to read the social reality of the land. In this way, one would be in a position to safeguard the country's heritage better," Mr Pace said.

In the 1980s, when the government of the day wanted to build the Napuljun Tagliaferro Road running over the catacombs, the Museum of Archaeology and the minister whose portfolio included antiquities were completely against it. The only concession made in order not to ruin this heritage was to make the road bridge the catacombs.

Mark Anthony Mifsud, an archaeologist at the Superintendence, said discussions are being held with the Ministry for Urban Development and Roads about bridging the stretch of catacombs that have been unearthed before the road is rebuilt.

He pointed out that Mepa appoints a consultant approved by the Superintendence whenever such works are in progress in order to monitor sites for such finds. The works have been stopped until a decision is taken on how best to preserve the burial site. The Superintendence would then see to it that the catacombs are cleaned and are made easily accessible to the public.

Mr Pace recalled that the last survey of the numerous historical sites around the country was carried by Sir Temi in 1934.

Sir Temi, together with Carmelo Rizzo from the Museums Department, used to spend every weekend going about the countryside asking farmers whether they had noticed any unusual structures while digging or ploughing their fields. "One of the most startling discoveries by Zammit employing this method was that of the Hypogeum in 1902," Mr Pace said.