Public Lecture – Archaeological findings at Mgarr ix-Xini Valley and Ghar ix-Xih

A presentation on The Mgarr ix-Xini Valley Regional Park Project organised by Din l-Art Helwa is being given by Dr. Nicholas Vella, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Classics and Archaeology at the University of Malta on the 4th February, at the Gozo Ministry, St. Francis Square, Gozo, at 6 p.m.

The lecture will cover the current findings resulting from the survey of the entire valley and in particular Ghar ix-Xih, an area which has a significant archaeological potential which is currently undergoing excavation on the initiative of the Sannat and Xewkija Local Councils. The technical implementation of the archaeological survey and physical excavation is being carried out by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage with the active participation of archaeology students from the Department of Classics and Archaeology.

The survey is geared mainly towards the full documentation of a series of rock-cut trough sets to be found along the sides of the valley. The whole exercise also takes into account the landscape setting which will be the basis for a contextual analysis of these archaeological features and will hopefully enable us to understand and possibly date these features, which for a long time have remained enigmatic.

Members of the team actively following this project are Anthony Bonanno, Professor of Classics and Archaeology at the University of Malta, Dr. Nicholas Vella, the Superintendent of Cultural Heritage, Dr. Anthony Pace, Nathaniel Cutajar and George Azzopardi, Gozo Curator for Heritage Malta. The findings resulting from the survey and excavations will be published jointly by the institutions involved making them available not just to the scholarly community, but to the general public as well. A representative selection of the materials that have been unearthed will go on permanent display when a Park Museum and Interpretation Centre will be completed.

The lecture is free of charge and the general public are encouraged to attend. Light refreshments will be served after the presentation.