L’ ipogeo di tac-Caghki a Malta

Abstract

The hypogeum (ipogeo) described in this report is situated outside the walls of the ancient Roman city found in Malta, to the west side. At that time this area seemed to be the main cemetery area of the island. This is due to the fact that for ages within the said location, a considerable amount of hypogeums dug in rock and belonging to different time periods and different cultures were found. In fact, there are Punic, Roman, Jewish and early Christian hypogeums. This hypogeum, with inscriptions which will be subsequently studied, was found by chance in 1952. There were preparations to lay the foundations of a new wing to the Government Primary School in the region commonly known as Tac-Caghki. Suddenly workers came across this funerary site. With meticulous attention the architect in charge of the above construction, Mr. Harold Borg, as well as with the supervision of the Director of the National Museum and Captain Charles Zammit, then Curator of Archaeology at the same museum, have taken all appropriate diligence to preserve as best as possible what had been found. One must nevertheless say that this funerary site was stripped from its contents by vandals before it was discovered.