IT-TNAX-IL LEĠIŻLATURA

P.L. 3009

Dokument imqiegħed fuq il-Mejda tal-Kamra tad-Deputati fis-Seduta Numru

165 tat-18 ta’ Ġunju 2014 mill-Onor. Ċensu Galea, M.P..

_______________________________
Raymond Scicluna
Skrivan tal-Kamra
 ..., ...,
tmXtJ
HERI'fAGE TRAIL
Pream6(e 2. DRY STONE I RUBBLE WALLS (Tas-sejjieh)
We(come to tfie Xemxija 'Jferitaae 'T'rai( wliicli, consists of 20
A lo~g _stretch of the rubble walls has been repaired and
sites of arcfiaeoCoaica( imyortance. You wi(( trave( tlirouah tfie
reb_urlt rn places. These walls are an integral part of our
corridors of history over ayerioa of time coverin8 ayyroximate(y
hentage an? are a characteristic of the Maltese Countryside.
6ooo years! 'Jt is a fonejaumey inaeea 6ut one you wi«ae.ftnite[y
The functrona l purpose of these walls is three fold :
enjoy ana ayyreciate wfii(e 6reatliin8 tfie fresli air~ainst a
1 That of retaining the soil in place especially in sloping
maenificent 6ac'tJrouna cif6reatfitafif18 views. P(ease o(fow tfie
areas and terraced fields.
may insertea in tfie centre in oraer not to miss anyt ina.
2 That of acting as a limit and extent of a property or field
'May tliis trai( 6e on(y a taste of wliat tlie 'M.a(tese 'ls(anas
demarcation lines dividing properties.
liave to offer as a fieritaae- for a« manfind: 'lt tafes ayyroximate(y
3 That of serving as a windbreak for the protection of trees
2 liours to cover tlie wfiote trai(
& P_lants; a_n important feature in these windswept islands.
-------------~-------------- An rnterestrng f~ature of these walls is the lack of a bonding
1. ROMAN ROAD (Pilgrims' Way) age~t such _as hme , cement, etc., but this should not give

Of great interest and as part of our heritage is the Punic- the rmpressron that they are built haphazardly. There was
Roman road that is still preserved for a considerable length an art, a technique that alas is being lost with the passing
and which is unique in Malta. One can clearly observe the of time. Furthermore, these walls house a variety of flora
limestone kerbing whose function is to hold up the road and fauna such as snails, geckos, lizards, snakes and other
surface. These stones are still in good condition despite creatures, as well as plants and flowers like the sorrel
their age (over 2000 years old!) Like all Roman roads the (qarsu) which provide these walls with a contrast of green
engineering is first class. Channels were cut along the road and yellow on a greyish background .
at the most opportune points where water would naturally These walls also serve as a connecting link between the
collect. Thus an ingenious way of directing the water from ancient temples, the
one side of the road to the other was devised by digging a girna and farmhouses
channel in the rock across the road. On one side a deep and forms such a
channel runs along the road for the collection of water. harmonious ensemble
This road is one of a network, which connected the
with their own simplicity
settlements and served to transport farm produce as well
and rustic appearance,
as salt.
Besides, this road is also known as the Pilgrims' Way an projecting themselves
old road taken by pilgrims on their way to our Lady's also as a link between •
Sanctuary in Melliel'la, in fulfilment of a vow, some of them the past and the
carrying chains. present. Cherished and irreplaceable , we should protect
Notice crosses etched in the rock at the top of the road them from the destructive forces of carelessness and
by the pilgrims while having a breather after struggling up .. vandalism under the guise of sustainable development.
the hill! ttt
3. MENHIR
A few metres up the Roman road lies
a large vertical rock known as a
megalith, monolith, standing stone or
as commonly known: a menhir. This
is of a prehistoric origin connected with
th~ ancient temple builders of t=tagar
Qrm, Mnajdra, Ggantija and others.
Menhirs are distinguishable from
Dolmens by the fact that they are
2 3
usually single stones. The menliir as an architectural feature
is of unknown origin, but archaeologists seem to associate
5. The Apiaries
it with the Neolithic period, since pottery sherds collected Apiaries are buildings I caves where bees are kept for the
from different sites usually date to that period . This single production of honey. Malta has always been known for its
menf'lir is placed only a few metres in front of a whole line first-class honey; some even sustain that the name MELITA
of Neolithic and Bronze Age tombs. (Latin for Malta) is formed from the word MEL, which in Latin
means honey. There is the case of the Roman Governor of
4 . CAVE Of THE GALLEY Malta Caius Verres who in 72 BC was accused of stealing
This is one of the 400 jars of honey from the temple of Juno!
many caves that Most apiaries were built facing south - an orientation
abound in the beekeepers chose for maximum light and warmth needed
area, which were by bees.
used for human Following the Roman road, just before one arrives at the
habitation in the top of the hill, is a cluster of 4 apiaries, one of which was
not too distant completely destroyed when the cave housing an apiary
past. Originally it collapsed. This cave has been cleared and one can at least
must have been a see parts of the restored cave . Another apiary is in a bad
prehistoric tomb state of repairs, while the other two have recently been
during the restored to their former glory. The first one is strikingly
Neolithic, possibly beautiful; it is the only one of its kind in Malta, in the sense
up to the Roman that it is very artistically constructed with arches and large
period. stones worked to perfection. From the size and workmanship
One admires the
of these stones, the building must date back to Punic -
well- structured
entrance constructed from large stones which adorns the Roman times. Could it have been originally a Columbarium
cave with a sense of awe and dignity, reminiscent of the a place to hold funerary urns? By crouching through the
temple buildings. What is particularly interesting is the right hand door one enters into a corridor, which is part cave
presence of an etching or graffiti of a war galley on the left- and part, built.
hand jamb of the doorway. How or why it fo.~nd its place One is struck by the rustic beauty of the interior which
here is open to anyone's guess. These graff1t1 are usually contrasts sharply with the exterior. The apiary is sectioned
found on prehistoric temple walls, churches, chapels and into alcoves each containing two stone shelves, with a
bastions dating from the 17 to the 18th cen~ury. Becaus~ of terracotta beehive (qolla) behind each hole. The hives are'
its uniqueness in the area, it gave the cave 1ts name. ~ot1ce lying on their sides with the neck right behind the outside
also the cross etched distinctly on the stone; poss1bl~ a hole. If the swarm was too large for the hive, an extension
pilgrims' cross. Who , why and when were these sh1ps (zieda) was added.
engraved on the walls? When a sailor, a traveller w~re The hives were blocked by pieces of wood which the bees
saved, through the intercession of the Madonna or a samt, sealed from inside with wax. To harvest the honey, the
from pirates, shipwreck or other disaste~s , .on the1r. s~fe farmer removed the board and cut the layer off the
return, the wealthy survivors would commiSSIOn a pa1nt1ng han sufficient for the bees to survive.
depicting the capture or storm as
a thanksgiving . In turn these
paintings were donated to the
church which honoured that
particular saint. These paintings
were called "Ex Voto". These
etchings have the same roots as
the paintings . Those who could
not afford a painting humbly etched
the image of the ship involved.

4 5
Another interesting feature is the roof, which has been
restored ; this is covered with a mortar consisting of 50%
lime and 50% pottery fragments, battered into place to form
an impervious surface.
A few metres away at a diagonal with this apiary, behind
an old carob tree, lie another apiary, which contrasts with
the first. Here we have a cave that was converted into a
bee-keeping habitat. Its rustic appearance blends extremely
well with the surrounding rocks. It must have been the work
of a farmer, who used locally found rough stones for its
construction . On entering, one is yet again struck by the
arch , which, with its simplicity and technique used, leaves
one amazed at the skill of our forefathers. Various other to s~t a~d th~n ~erved as blocks of sweet, (karamelli), when
apiaries can be found across the Kalkara Valley, between the liqUid s~hdif1es . Traditionally this sweet is very popular
Xemxija and Mellielia. on Good Fnday, as one can have a sweet without breaking
Practically all the caves in the the fast. Home made syrup (gulepp) prepared from this fruit
area all the way up to Manikata f?r sooth.ing a cough is still very popular. In very rough
conserve traces of human t1mes d.unng World War II, many people satisfied their hunger
habitation; some of them were by eatmg the fleshy part of the fruit. Although in the
still lived in until the not too distant Med1t~rranean t~e pulp of the carob fruit is used extensively
past. These include the apiaries, as an Important 1ngred1ent for fodder, a number of medicines
which also show signs of having also make use of certain extract of the pulp. Besides, one
been used for burial purposes. of the mo~t economic propositions this tree offers is actually
the seed 1tself. An extract of its seed, known commercially
Notice the arcosolia (apses) dug
as the ~ong Be~n Gu.m. (~BG) , is used in many food
in the rock. Possibly the preparations, for 1ts sohd1fymg qualities. Ice cream does
sequence of use was the not melt because of the LBG factor; the same with tinned
following : food like corned beef or pet food . It is used as taste
i. For burial purposes. substitutes, texture modifiers, colourants or stabilisers. In
ii. For human habitation. the l~cal context th~ caro~ also yielded firewood and rough
iii. For the production of honey. bedd1ng of f~rm ammals m the past when hay was in short
supply. Th1s evergreen tree is very prolific in its leaf
6 . OLD CAROB TREE (Ceratonia Siliqua) production and it sheds quite a large amount of leaves which
Right at the corner, at an angle from the Roman apiary lies in ?u~ tim~ will break up to form a good bedding material.
what is known to be the oldest carob tree in these islands Th1s nch !1tter us.ed to ~e mixed with soil for potting plants
0 about 1,000 years old. Being 7.25m in circumference, its
roots are embedded in rocks, and presents as a sturdy,
durable tree. The carob is one of our indigenous trees, which
[ because 1t conta1ns a h1gh level of organic matter. Not so
many years ago, rosary beads were in great demand. The
carob seed used to be collected , boiled and strung into
rosary beads w1th a large seed marking the glory. It is said
can be found growing mostly in areas like this where the
soil is very shallow and rocky surfaces predominate. This that the. word carat used for weighing gold is derived from
evergreen long-living tree, once very common in our rural an Arabic word qirat, which is the carob seed used as weight.
landscape, has been utilised since biblical times. Moreover th is tree provides food for the bees that thrive on
Its well known coloured pod-shaped fruit know in northern its flowers . Honey produced by the bees from this flower
countries as Johannesbrot, (St. John's Bread), harvested tends to be very dark in colour. No wonder then that this
in mid-August, was the main source of fodder for goats, tree was and still is so important in our countryside with its
sheep, cattle, equines and even rabbits. Man extracted evergreen leaves providing a canopy of green and shade
sugar solutions from it in the past and still does today. with its widespread branches. And no wonder that Frans
Yielding a sweet extract when the fruit is boiled, it is allowed Scerri, in March 1999 burst out into a poem mystified by its
beauty:
6
7
TO THE OLD CAROB TREE
Oh dear old carob tree
So gnarled and so dishevelled
Who knows how many events
Throughout your life
You had to witness
For our forefathers you
Were worth your weight in gold
And till this day
You steal our hearts
..: .... ~. '-.·~
~· . [ .. .\ .'_~
Reigning in beauty.

restoration that will inject a new life and some degree of

7. THE CAVE Of BURIALS respectability.
Near the top of the ridge, immediately next to the quarry The importance of this temple is enhanced by the fact that
wall that forms the main road , a wide and open cave it forms part of a vast ensemble of archaeological sites that
reveals the presence of a troglodyte habitation. This cover most of the hilltop and the adjacent valleys: prehistoric
cave, which at present is completely exposed to the road, and Punic tombs, fortified village, cart ruts, troglodyte caves,
was once hidden from view behind a rocky screen that ancient apiaries, a menl'lir and a Roman road.
has since collapsed. The only entrance was through a The temple itself, which is one of about 30 known temples
number of rock-hewn steps, on top of the ridge. These in the archipelago, dates back to c. 2,800 B.C. Compared
steps reveal that in its origin the hewn cave was u~ed ~s to the other temples say of Hagar Qim , Mnajdra , Ggantija,
a place of burial, possibly beginning from preh1st~nc surprisingly enough there are no signs of the megalith
times. It was enlarged to house a single floor ~~nal, structure that these other temples present. Instead , one
possibly in late Bronze Age or Iron Age. (Phoenician_). notices stones of a much smaller size.
Eventually it was enlarged to house loculi and arcosolla Most of the temples were constructed on the basic plan of
of the late Roman ;...P..:e~rio;.d;.r:.:,...,.-:---------, three chambers in a trefoil pattern grouped around a central
The overzealous forecourt. Although no definite evidence has been discovered,
hewing of the it is possible that the temples were used as tombs at first.
rock interior
The amount of debris found close to some temples seems
caused the outer
to imply that the whole building was at one time covered
rock surface to
with earth so as to form a large conical mound, which kept
collapse aeons •
ago, as the dark the various parts of the building together. The cult of the
and integrated dead and its associated rituals must have certainly prompted
colouring of the a requirement for surface temples to be erected and thus
rock would show. satisfy the growing need to celebrate more properly the
religious rites of the day.
Soon, all the later surface temples were built as shrines for
that purpose. While the dead continued to be buried in the
8. NEOLITHIC TEMPLE
underground tombs and caves, the new surface temples
Situated on the hilltop in Xemxija, surrounded by trees of gradually acquired a significant role in the religion of the
various types and sizes, lie the remains of a Neolithi~ temple. living, particularly with religious cult and rituals of the fertility
Luckily the foundations of this temple made of solid blocks goddess but also linked to ancestral worship.
of stone have withstood the ravages of time and the These temples represent one of the earliest major monuments
vandalism of man; but it is crying out for some type of of stone built by man. Considering the small size of these

8 9
islands, archaeologists wonder why so many temples .. at but to serve the personal needs of farmers and goatherds
least 30, were built here. As yet no satisfactory explanation or for rearing of livestock.
has been advanced as to why the inhabitants of these They provided welcome shelter from the hot summer sun
islands were able to develop the facility for building what or the occasional rainstorm. They were used to keep their
are technically very refined temples. From the evidence food and any young children they had to carry with them; in
available to us today, it appears that Maltese megalithic a few instances a cradle used to be fixed to the wall. The
architecture is older than anything similar that is known in giren also came in useful for keeping tools overnight, storing
the western Mediterranean, and it has been suggested that produce such as potatoes and onions. They also served for
Malta was the centre from which the style emanated. keeping a watchful eye over the crops. It could be that our
The society, which erected these temples, left no written forefathers used these giren as habitation. Quintinus attested
in 1536 that they used to live in huts and Mikiel Anton Vassalli
records; nor did it leave any cities. As testimony to its singular
in his dictionary (1796) describes the girna as a poorly built
achievements, it left only its giant monuments. The fact
house. Up to the second half of the 20-century, a number
that there are so many of them in a relatively small area, of people in Melliel'la and around Dingli still lived in them for
would suggest that this society was capable of harnessing many years. From a distance the girna resembles a heap
the existing labour resources to achieve its objectives. This of stones; on approaching it one can however, observe the
would have demanded a high level of organisation , simple and primitive architectural skills involved in its
engineering and specialisation in various skills. construction . The girna could be built at no cost, since the
stones used for their construction could be found in the fields
9. CORBELLED HUT (Girna) around. No tools, no beams and no flat slabs to roof them
Scattered in the northern and western part of the island , over were necessary. The girna has a dry double wall and
one notices these stone huts which are such an outstanding its strength and stability depended upon the builder's ability
feature of the countryside . The greatest concentration of to find closely fitting stones and place them upon one another.
giren is found in Xemxija, Mistra, ix-Xaghra 1-l=taf!lra near This fastened the entire structure together and imparted a
Manikata, 1-lmgiebal'l, Gl'lajn l=tadi~ near Selmun, W1e~ Mu~a surprising degree of structural integrity and mechanical
close to 1-AI'lrax tai-Melliel'la, ic-Cirkewwa and BahnJa. It 1s strength. Skill was required to proceed upwards in the shape
hard to explain why there are so many in this locality where~s of a dome. The most challenging feature is the ceiling , and
there is only a handful in the other parts of the country; 1n many marvel at the way the builder was able to cap the girna
Goi:o there are hardly any. One of the practical reasons without using cement, lime or other material, just placing the
could be because in that expanse of land there is a great edge of one stone on another, locking them together, leaving
quantity of loose, mainly coralline limestone and rocks. as small a space as possible , which was then closed by a
Another plausible reason could be that the northern part of large flat rock and any remaining cracks filled with smaller
Malta has always been sparsely populated due to pirate stones. The most common shape of the girna is round,
incursions, but the fertility of the arable land could. not be although there are square and rectangular ones, and even
easily dismissed, attracting farmers from f~raway v1~la~es. rare oval constructions. It has only one door which normally
The giren were not thought to have been built for habitation, faces the rising sun, is bereft of any decorations except for
a couple of small windows and alcoves usually used to hold
oil lamps, tools or bunk. Some have a dry stone wall erected
around them , others have steps or a ramp leading to their
roofs, while others have a cagl'lqija which was used to place
a turtle dove decoy on top. There are two cases when a
girna was actually built over another girna.
The origins of these interesting dwellings lie in the mist of
antiquity, possibly as far back as Neolithic times. Whatever
and whenever their origin , the Maltese girna is an integral
part of our culture, a reminder of our hard-working forefathers
who spent long hours working the land and attending to
livestock to provide for their families.

10 II
 AREA OF
ARCHAELOGICALIMPORTANCE
13

• ••
XEMXIJA, SAN PAWLIL-BAHAR
1) ROMAN ROAD (PILGRIMS' WAY)
2) DRY STONE I RUBBLE WALLS (TAS-SEJJIEH)
3) MENHIR
4) CAVE OF THE GALLEY
5) The Apiaries
13
•• 6) OLD CAROBTREE (CERATONIA SIUQUA)
7) THE CAVE OF BURIALS
Q) 0 8) NEOLITHIC TEMPLE
6 01, 9) CORBELLED HUT (GIRNA)
15 10 WOODLAND
11) PUNIC TOMB
12) FARMER'S HUT (GORBOG)
13) CAVE DWELLINGS
14) GRANARY (SILO) I WELL

BAJDARIDGE 15) NEOLITHIC TOMBS

16) WORLD WAR II DEFENCE POST (PILL BOX)
17) ROMAN BATHS
18) THE FARMHOUSE (RAZZETT)
Woodland
19) MISTRA GATE
20)CART RUTS (RADDET IR-ROTI)

I Rai'ltaaa Trail I A
Starts Here ~
Raddet lr-Roti
 t 0 . WOODLAND in shape.
On Bajda Ridge an afforestation project was initiated in 1967 ii. The shaft tombs, which were not so common consisting
68 by the Agriculture Ministry in an effort to increase the of a circular or rectangular open shaft. Archaeological
number of trees on the island. The ridge was a rocky evidence points to these tombs being roofed with slabs after
expanse without any trees. Pits had to be blasted with a buriaL
explosives and filled with soiL The idea was to create an
olive grove, but because of the exposure to the elements iii. The chamber tombs consisting of an oval shaped burial
other trees like pines and acacias had to be planted to act chamber of 0.9 m in height hewn in the vertical face of the
as windbreakers, and although the olives survived, the other .. rock , preferably being cut in places of upper coralline
trees took over. Other trees were also planted like the limestone.
cypress and carob. iv. The grave-pit, which was
Another objective for creating the woodland was to recharge either dug in the rock or else
the water table so that more water could be pumped from in the soiL Most of these
the aquifer. It is a known fact that trees arrest the downward were used several times
rush o~ runoff rain water down ridges and slopes, thus and because of the demand
allow1ng it to some had two or three
percolate through the chambers. The majority of
cracks in the rocks till the interments were
it is stopped by the cremation burials.
layer of clay.
Thirty years later
Bajda Ridge became
green and has
become one of the
most frequented
groves in the island,

12. FARMER'S HUT (Gorbog)

tt. PUNIC TOMB Right opposite
This i_s the only Punic tomb found in the Xemxija area , a the Troglodyte
plausible reason being that the Phoenicians and cave, a
Carthaginians made use of the prehistoric and cave tombs farmer's hut
for burial purposes before starting digging their own. It is in has been
excellent condition with a very deep 2.20 m rectangular shaft faithfully
leading to a burial chamber with a rectangular entrance.
reconstructed
The workmanship of this chamber, I would say, is unique
for its pre~isi?n creating a sense of awe and mystique as using the
one looks ms1de. A very unusual feature is the two apses, same old
one on the left and the other on the right of the entrance stones.
hole. It is almost semi-elliptical in shape, 2 m at its widest
with a flat ceiling 1 m high and a smooth floor. This was an old rustic building, which could have served as
Punic tombs in the Maltese Islands are found to be of four an extension of the cave .
basic types: Notice the rough stones that were used and the total lack
of mortar. The outside stone-bench (xriek), is a characteristic
i. The shaft and chamber tombs , which were the most of the Maltese farmhouse together with the miiieb (water
~ommon, c?nsisted of a circular or rectangular shaft leading duct), the hawt (water trough), the alcove, the oil-lamp niche
mto the bunal chamber which in turn was oval or rectangular and the outside staircase.

14 15
13. CAVE DWELLINGS 14. GRANARY (Silo) I WELL
On top of Xemxija hill, a few metres from the prehistoric Located only a short distance away from the all important
tombs, one encounters a hardly visible wide cave, wh ich
Prehistoric tombs, hidden by the high ridge that divides the
until recent times was one of the many caves abounding jn
the area that was used for human habitation . The caves sites, and on top of the Troglodyte cave, one comes across
were usually divided into sections by means of rubble walls: a deeply dug silo. This silo that dates back to the Prehistoric
one for the parents, one for the children and one for the Period would have been used to store grain and other
animals, very much part of the family, was also squeezed cereals. During the Roman Period, the ground next to it
in. Certain ind!viduals, who lived in these caves , say that was levelled to create an ample threshing area. The whole
they ~ere ?ool1n the summer and warm in the winter. They silo would have been capped over with a large , possibly
were l1ved m at least until the 1930's. It is interesting to note circular, wooden cover.
how the rubble walls completely encompass these cave Moreover the whole area must have been covered by some
dwellings hiding the entrance from any intruder that ventured kind of building. The remains of a roman villa in the vicinity
near them. An interesting feature is the channel dug in the
makes this clear. Cut into the rock surface are a number of
rock running along the top edge of the cave to prevent
rainwater dripping into it. But what is more interesting is the features that reveal the presence of massive beams that
creation of an ingenious device whereby the water from one supported the silo cover. Considering that the evidence is
end (possibly both ends) of the channel is directed into the clear enough for the existence of a prehistoric settlement I
cave via a duct in the ground leading to a large depression fortified village on
acting as a well. In very ancient times, this cave, like many the hilltop,
others, was used for burial purposes. Notice the arcosolia The Temple, the
(apses) dug in the rock and the recesses on the wall to hold Tombs, the Cart
the oil lamps supplied to accompany the dead and later to Ruts, the Caves
provide light for the cave dwellers. Certainly the abundance
and the Old Wall a
of many natural caves in Malta and Gozo must have been
of great benefit to our early ancestors. These caves offered granary of this size
ready-mad~ , se~ure and well-protected dwellings for early would have been
man and h1s an1mals, cattle, sheep, goats and pigs. They a necessity. There
also served for the storage of hay, clover and field produce. are clear signs that
Early .~an cultivated the fertile fields, especially those in it was later
the VICinity of the caves. It is likely that they grew club wheat, converted into a
barley and possibly even lentils. Besides making pottery, water holding cistern . A small circular depression at the
they chipped stone implements and axes, and they were very bottom collected the last dregs of this precious water.
able to erect simple huts and group them into tiny primitive
villages.
!n wartime, these caves served as shelters during enemy
.. 15. NEOLITHIC TOMBS
a1r ra1ds. In his book Malta: An Archaeological Guide (1972) , the
British archaeologist David H. Trump refers to the Xemxija
hilltop as one of the most interesting corners of the Islands.
He refers especially to the shaft and chamber tombs found
on the flat surface. There are six tombs excavated by Evans
in 1956, which belong to the Ggantija phase dated around
3600B.C. Trump is of the view that there must have been
some sort of prehistoric settlement in the area . The
abundance of pottery of various consistencies and firing,
the cart ruts, the temple, the tombs, the caves etc. , all point
in that direction. The people of the Temple culture developed
these elaborate kidney-shaped rock cut tombs, which

16 17
 occupied a central place _in their religion based upon fertility 16. WORLD WAR II DEFENCE POST (Pill Box)
cults. and ancestor worship. From the beginning, in religious It was in the 1930s that the British authorities were compelled
architecture, there was an efflorescence, which produced a to fortify the island against any possible invasion especially
most remarkable series of temples and tombs. It has been the northern part that was too vulnerable with its many-
suggested that when the Maltese of the day started to build exposed landing bays. Being easy and quick to construct,
temple~, they attempted to reproduce above the ground the there were over 200 pillboxes built between 1938 and 1942.
essential forms of their religious architecture, which had They formed part of the concept of a more fluid form of
been developed in the subterranean tombs. Below ground defence, which allowed greater mobility between the regular
lobed tomb structures had probably developed naturally and forces and the defended strong points.
the early temples are in fact of a similar form. The Pill Box was ......
These tombs lie in an area of c. 1875 square metres and a concrete
were dug into the soft upper r------~--. machine gun
coralline limestone. Basically they emplacement
are of the same type consisting nicknamed Pill
of a circular shaft 85 em deep
because the first
from which opens a kidney
British machine
shaped domed chamber roughly
gun
3.8 m long and 1.2 m high.
emplacements
However they differ in size and
internal details, with tombs 1 and were circular like
pill boxes, which provided impenetrable field defences due
2 having interconnected
chambers. Some of the tombs to the protective qualities of the concrete coupled with the
have lobed extensions from the awesome fire-power of the machine guns.
main chamber, the purpose being The defensive qualities of reinforced concrete or
to provide more room without ferroconcrete, were its resistance to shell penetration and
endangering the collapse of the its ability to absorb the stresses caused by explosion. It was
roof, the sides acting like pilasters. the grid of steel reinforcement near the outer surface of the
It is the lobed type that may have concrete which had the effect of checking the penetration
inspired the shape to the temple '------~----1 of shell, while the reinforcement near the inner surfaces of
builders. The dead were buried in a crouched position on the walls and roof provided the tensile strength that held
one si~e ~ith the knees drawn up to the chest - symbolic of the concrete together when struck by exploding shells.
the ch1ld rn the mother's womb returning to the womb of The first type of pill-boxes erected were those which are
mother earth. Earthenware jars full of grain and water were distinguished by their camouflage of rubble stone cladding
placed beside the corpse for the spirit to survive. which was very effective as it blended in excellently with
The excavations yielded a deposit of compact, clayey soil the surrounding field walls. However the threat of war and
d~mp and dark in colour, but the bottom layer was rather • invasion, created a sense of urgency and the need for rapid
different consisting of a white lime substance and with red construction. As a result, by 1939, a new type of pillbox,
ochre. The red ochre occurred in many burial deposits in more box like in shape, began to appear. They were more
the Malt_ ese lsl~nd~. I~ could have been a normal funerary difficult to conceal, the most common type being the painted
custom 1n preh1stonc t1mes. This red ochre adhered to the camouflage with patterns to disguise them as harmless rural
pottery and bones. The finds consisted of human and animal building by emphasising the coursed stone work or adding
bones mixed with fragments of prehistoric material including large domestic features as false doorways and windows.
decorated pottery and amulets of hard greenstone. Despite the variety of designs, the pillboxes had a number
The first interments were made about 2800 BC with the of common features. Nearly all were fitted with a rectangular
majority during the Ggantija phase about 2400 BC. There observation turret with all round vision slits. The majority
wa~ a falling off in quantity towards the end of the temple were provided with a searchlight. The entrances to the
penod. However some fragments testify to continued sporadic pillboxes, consisting of small armoured hatches, were
use to medieval times. generally located in the rear or sheltered side. These pillboxes

18 19
 t8. THE fARMHOUSE (Razzett)
became a form of static armour, intended primarily to engage
and destroy the enemy and not to shelter the defenders. No (View from the terrace opposite Roman Baths)
more soldiers than could use their weapons effectively were Without doubt the traditional farm buildings that are scattered
to be deployed inside them, generally around six men under in the countryside are an important part of our heritage. It
the command of an N.C.O. Over 20 are known to have been is indeed a pity that a number of them are badly neglected
constructed in the St. Paul's Bay locality 0 a number of which and falling to ruins giving way to more modern buildings that
still stand. Some were demolished as part of the eyesore are completely out of character with the surrounding fields
clearance project of the 1960s or to make room for and dry stone walls (tas-sejjiel'l}. It is only in recent years
development. Others were destroyed when planes crashed that people are realising that our architectural heritage does
on them during the war. Two soldiers who were outside the not only consist of temples, bastions, churches, etc. , but
one at San Pawl tat-Targa were killed by a bomb which also of clusters of lesser-known buildings in our villages in
landed by the pillbox showering shrapnel. The shrapnel their natural settings. The planning and layout of the typical
marks are still visible. farmhouse is the outcome of the sum total of the needs of
the farmer, his family and farm animals, his tools and the
1 7. ROMAN BATHS storage of his crops . It was generally planned round a
central courtyard with practically all rooms looking into it, an
Discovered during maintenance and cleaning activities during architectural arrangement that is particularly suited for the
May June 2000, the site was identified as a Roman Period local climate with its abundant sunshine, blustery winds and
Bath Complex by Prof. A. Bonanno. This site proves to be generally mild winters.
the best preserved Roman baths on the Islands. The baths The razzett is usually protected by a high perimeter wall
with their pools, cold and hot rooms were cut into the rocks, both for privacy and protection from marauders raids, which
in a steep cliff overlooking Mistra Valley. In the 17 Century were common in the 16th and 17th century. External windows
a beautiful wall and arched doorway were constructed, were small and mostly in the upper floor. Some rooms have
turning the baths into a dwelling place. narrow slits with tapering sides, known as amber-Zuni, that
On entering the doorway lies a large hall which served as the farmer could use as spy-holes and through which, he
a tepidarium . Two could insert a shotgun for the defence of his family and his
medium-sized pools crops. The arch was widely used in the courtyard loggias.
would have served for Staircases were built on the outside and were in many
cold dips. The stucco cases supported by the rampart arch, whose curvature
lining of the pool and followed the rising gradient of the open stairs. Rooms for
part of the deep red the animals were provided with fodder and water troughs,
coloured stuccos that wall recesses for farm implements and with tie-holes. The
covered the walls can living rooms were paved with flagstones. Some large
still be traced. farmhouses had a mill-room with a stone-wheel grain grinder
A narrow corridor that could be turned ,...-- -- - -- - """"r=;::-'""":;;;•-'1
separates the slowly by a mule or
tepidarium from the caldarium, which is well preserved . donkey. Roofs were
Of rectangular shape, it possesses an apse with a rock- always flat and
hewn niche possibly containing the statue of Hercules. What inclined in the
would have been a boiler room , was accessible from the direction of crude
top of the cliff, but is now buried under tons of debris. Water earthenware down
would have come from a natural spring . It is not known pipes, which led the
whether the pools were roofed over but traces of rebates precious rainwater
up the cliff face point to at least partial roofing. Unfortunately into wells dug in the
the baths had to be abandoned due to subsidence and farmhouse yard.
crevices in the rocks. It looks as if the site was converted These wells had the
into a burial place with artistically cut tombs. In later years opening guarded by a
it was turned into a troglodyte habitation. her-Za, or well-head ,
21
20
that was wide enough for a man to pass through from time the particular period of
to time to descend in order to repair and or clean out the prehistory from which
well. The wellheads had normally two square stone pillars they date. Nor are
spanned by a lintel with an attachment for a hardwood or they agreed on how
metal pulley for the rope and bucket. Attached to the main precisely these track
building, most farms had a sheltered room where the farmer were made . Sir
kept his cart; some of these were beautifully arched. Themistocles Zammit
in his "Malta : The
19. MISTRA GATE Islands and Their
History" was of the
On the way to Mistra Bay, the eye is struck by a beautiful 1dea that these cartways were started by human labour,
gate, which was the entrance to a noble person's estate. which idea was enhanced by the fact that in many cases,
The gate has four coat-of-arms sculptured in stone. On top a system of shunting is arranged so that two carts coming
is the coat-of-arms of Grand Master Pinto, who ruled from along from the opposite direction on the same track, may
1741 to 1773. Underneath, there is another one that has continue their course . He holds that this very neat
the letter "R" and below it 3 loaves. The letter "R" and arrangement could not be the result of a mere accident.
the loaves portray that this r---- - - - - Professor J.D . Evans in his book, "Ancient Peoples and
estate was a Foundation of Places" in 1959 states that various studies lead to the
the Monte della conclusion that they were made by slide-cars (a belief fortified
Redenzione, (that is why by experiments) and that they evidently formed an elaborate
the letter R) degli Schiavi communications system and to judge by their numbers ,
(for the redemption of probably served a fairly large population . Probably they
slaves) founded by Caterina were used to transport many different kinds of goods from
Vitale and Grand Master settlement to settlement. Drought animals towed these slide
Wignacourt. The land was cars. Basically the car would consist of two shafts attached
rented to farmers and the to the animal at the front, held together by a framework in
income went to ransom the the middle and resting on the ground in the rear. The rear
slaves. L...;;;:;;;o;::ii::i~--.;;..:..__ _ _ __J ends of the shafts were probably shod with stone in some
way. This framework would be strong enough to carry goods
20. CART RUTS (Raddet lr-Roti) or a passenger or both. As to what exact purpose they were
Like various other locations in Malta, on the hilltop in Xemxija, used for, there is no evidence to go on . Could they have
near the Fire Engine Depot, in San Martin and other places, been used to carry the large stones for the Temples? Many
there is the existence of what are known as Cart Ruts. theories abound, from the carrying of seaweed to fertilise
Basically they look like cart tracks consisting of parallel the arable land to the transportation of soil to the more barren
groves between 1.32 and 1.47 m wide cut into bare rock. areas, for the hill top settlements of the Bronze Age people;
In certain places their width varies continuously 0 over a from carrying loads from the sea to the transportation of
length of 275 m their width changes 15 times. Their depth fresh water from springs to the settlements. The patterns
also varies up to 61 em or more. They are shaped in the developed by these tracks are not all susceptible to logical
form of a V with the lower part rounded about 2 em from the explanation. All we can say is that the incredible number
bottom . They sometimes cover long distances following and distribution of the tracks, especially the ones at Clapham
various routes along hilly ridges, between valleys and Junction indicate that they were used very frequently for a
sometimes leading into shallow waters along the coast. large number of tasks, probably including industry, arable
Some of them end abruptly at cliff edges. At some points, farming, herding, quarrying and warfare. With regards to
they intersect each other. Near the wooded area of Buskett their age, there are very few clues apart from the fact that
many of them converge and cross each other. Thi~ in several places Punic tombs are found cut in the ruts, an
intersection is commonly referred to as "Clapham Junction", indication that the tracks were in existence at the time when
(a reference to an intricate railway junction in Clapham UK). the tombs were excavated . Thus the tracks are prehistoric.
While the experts agree that these ruts on some of the rocky They are noticeably absent around the temple sites but th~y
plateaux are of prehistoric origin, they are not all agreed on do exist around the Bronze Age village sites. Thus there IS

22 23
 a case for assuming the tracks are Bronze Age.
Understandably these ruts have fired the imagination and
intrigued the minds of local and foreign archaeologists,
scholars and laymen alike . Van Daniken fantasised that
extra terrestrials used the network of ruts, especially the
ones at Clapham Junction, as runways for their spacecraft!
A very recent theory proposed by Dr. Louis Vella (November
1999) suggests that these furrows (not cart ruts) represent
the still visible remains (many more are under fields, buildings
roads) of a system of prehistoric surface quarrying practised
on a large scale all over the Maltese Islands. But since no
expert has confirmed this or that theory beyond argument,
one may care to contemplate the ruts and let the imagination
go coursing down the vast corridors of time. A personal
comment: if ever an answer is found to our queries, it would
only fulfill our curiosity; but would, at the same time, remove
all the mystique of this intriguing phenomenon!

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CLOSING COMMENT
We hope you enjoyed your visit. This is only a small area of archaeological
importance in this Locality . For further information consult the San Pawl
il-Bahar Archaeological Guide on sale at Book Sellers, Hotels and other
outlets.

BIRTH Of THE PROJECT

The members of the San Pawl ii-Bahar Heritage Group started the Heritage
Trail in 1993 on a voluntary basis after establishing that there was a buried
treasure of archaeological importance requiring repairs and a thorough
clean up.
As soon as the San Pawl ii-Bahar Local Council was set up, the Group
called its attention to the state of these sites and of their importance. Thus
originated a co-operation between the Group and the Council, which
showed a keen interest in the project and supported the Group with
.. encouragement and financial assistance .
The Heritage Trail has created an opportunity for the appreciation of all
that is beautiful and prestigious in these islands.
Group Tours can be organised via the Local Council.
--------------~--------------
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
Fr Eugene Theuma OFM Conv.
Mr. Stephen Spiteri
Photos: Mr. Demonic Attard. Front Photo: Umpnnt
Compiled by F. Scerri
K UNSI LL LOKALI
Published by the San Pawl ii-Bahar Local Council S AN P AW L I L-B AH AR
Copyright of: San Pawl 11-Bahar Local Council 2006 Sc1t Pa-..,1 ii· Baltor Local Cou~tcil
Produced by UNIPRINT PRINTING SERVICES • Burrnarrad