A woman with decayed teeth, butchered animal bones and pottery: Malta’s hidden treasures uncovered 25.06.2026

The Superintendence of Cultural Heritage (SCH) has published its 2025 Annual Report, documenting a year of sustained archaeological monitoring that led to the identification or rediscovery of 172 sites across the Maltese Islands. Among the most significant finds was a rock-cut feature in Rabat along Triq Ġorġ Borg Olivier, yielding thousands of ceramic fragments—mostly miniature lamps, small jars, plates, and stands—provisionally dated to the Hellenistic period. The scale and concentration suggest a votive or ritual deposit, offering rare insight into local religious practices over two millennia ago. Further Roman-period discoveries include a villa complex at Bidnija with decorated mural plaster from a collapsed section, and evidence of olive processing at Ta’ Marnisi in Marsaxlokk. In Balzan, a large dolium-type storage vessel was found in situ with rock-cut cisterns and irrigation channels, reconstructing a structured agricultural landscape.















