Malta Cliff Site Yields Stone Mallet
Excavations at Xrobb l-Għaġin, a prehistoric site on Malta's eroding cliffs, have uncovered a stone mallet among new discoveries. Archaeologists are racing against coastal erosion to preserve evidence of Malta's earliest inhabitants at the precarious clifftop location. The find bolsters beliefs that the area holds untapped secrets about the island's ancient past.
- The megalithic site dates back to the Ġgantija phase of Maltese prehistory (3600-3000 BC). It was first excavated in 1914-1915, but was later thought to have been mostly destroyed by coastal erosion until its remains were rediscovered in 2015. - Due to the site's precarious position on a rapidly eroding cliff, archaeologists from Heritage Malta have had to work while strapped to a tower crane for safety. - Before the most recent discoveries, a project was undertaken to move six massive stones from the temple's central passage and frame further inland. The heaviest of these megaliths weighed approximately 900 kilograms. - The relocation of the large stones gave archaeologists a unique opportunity to excavate parts of the site that were previously inaccessible. - Early 20th-century excavations at the site yielded artifacts such as a clay bowl and slingstones, which are now housed in the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta. - Researchers are using a technique called optically stimulated luminescence dating on soil and flooring samples from the site. This will help them determine when the materials were last exposed to sunlight, clarifying the different construction phases of the structure. - A new interpretation center is scheduled to open within the Xrobb l-Għaġin Nature Park by the end of 2026, where the relocated stone elements will be reassembled and the new findings will be displayed.
