Cemetery expansion in Malta leads to discovery of Bronze Age remains

 01.09.2008 06:37   b4uindia.com

A cluster of five silos dating back to the Bronze Age period were recently discovered by archeologists during excavation work in Malta, forming part of a project to extend the Luqa cemetery.   According to a report in The Malta Independent, the finding was made by Themistocles (Temi) Zammit, who had discovered, among others, the Hypogeum, Tarxien Temples, Hagar Qim, Mnajdra, and St Paul’s Catacombs.   Nathaniel Cutajar, from the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, said that such silo pit clusters are evidence of ancient settlement, both from prehistory and from the Classical period.   “On the basis of earlier investigations, we know that the Tal-Mejtin silos in Luqa were in use since the Early Bronze Age, and possibly earlier,” he said.   “It is clear that the recently discovered silos are ancient in origin, even though they were used in later periods as water cisterns,” he added.   Cutajar said that the tightly grouped cluster of silos is relatively well preserved and has a high intrinsic value.   The Superintendence of Cultural Heritage has taken measures to ensure the Bronze Age pits are preserved in line with the norms of the Cultural Heritage Act.   The Luqa Parish Church, which is responsible for the project at the cemetery, is collaborating with the superintendence to ensure the recently discovered remains are safeguarded.   The Bronze Age culture replaced the Temple culture, which ended mysteriously in Malta some time around 2,500 BC.   Among the discoveries dating back to this period, which lasted till about 700 BC, are the cart ruts and the dolmens scattered around the Maltese Islands.   The Bronze Age was characterized by practices that were very different to the Temple culture, probably because new influences reached Malta from the outside world. (ANI)

India Health & Beauty

Groundbreaking study paves way for new cancer, aging treatments

A team of scientists at The Wistar Institute has decoded the structure of the active region of telom...

Coffee may help reduce uterus cancer risk

A Japanese study has found that women who drink a lot of coffee may have less risk of developing can...

Sex hormones make men more prone to heart disease

Men are more likely to die from heart disease than women of a similar age - courtesy sex hormones. T...

Bodies found inside Tutankhamun’s tomb may be his twin daughters

An anatomist has claimed that two mummified foetuses found buried with Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun ...

Genetic switch in the brain that regulates body weight and fertility identified

Experiments on mice conducted at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have uncovered a master s...

Doctors halt growth of 7ft 12-year-old

Doctors have managed to stop a 12-year-old boy who is 7ft 3ins tall from growing any bigger.   ...

vCJD can be transmitted via blood transfusion

After studying sheep for nine years, researchers at the University of Edinburgh have found evidence ...

World’s first laser surgery to destroy brain tumour on conscious patient

French surgeons have successfully used keyhole laser surgery to destroy a brain tumour on a consciou...

Magnesium sulfate may cut cerebral palsy risk in preemies

Premature babies are 50 pct less likely to develop cerebral palsy if their mothers are given magnesi...

Healthy people are happy but happy people are even healthier

While it is said that healthy people are happy, a new study suggests that people who’re joyful...