Post-Roman Burial Ground Unearthed At Tal-Bidnija
A post-Roman burial ground was unearthed by archaeologists working at the Tal-Bidnija site earlier today.
According to Heritage Malta, the newly discovered is believed to be a post-Roman burial ground consisting of at least two inhumations- the action of burying the dead.
Sir Temi Zammit first shed light on the site in 1912 but it remained largely unexplored until it was picked up during the Malta Survey Project.
Through ground-penetrating radar and surface artefact analysis, the buried structures, consistent with a Roman villa rustica or farm complex, were revealed in the vicinity of an olive grove which is estimated to be at least over 500 years old.
These latest findings appear to confirm what is known from Late Medieval historical sources, namely that the area remained in use well beyond Classical antiquity.
The Tal-Bidnija area excavations form part of the OLEA project- a collaboration between Heritage Malta, the University of Malta, and the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage.
This project was launched in 2020 and combines national expertise and resources to professionally manage, protect, and study one of Malta’s most promising rural heritage sites.
Through this new evidence, researchers will be able to reconstruct the area’s social and agricultural history. Conservator-restorers have carefully removed each item for examination and preservation after uncovering layers of exquisitely adorned plaster from an abandoned structure.
The site’s significance is further enhanced by its association with olive cultivation – underscored by the site’s olive grove and the presence of a unique Roman stone vat used to decant olive oil.
Post-excavation study of all the evidence that has been found will continue and excavations will resume next year.
Congratulations for the discovery!
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