The Saracenic Cemetery on the site of the Roman domus, Rabat (Malta) : an analysis of the archaeological evidence

Abstract

The Saracenic period in Malta is yet to be fully uncovered. This is mainly due to the lack of archaeological discoveries: no prominent buildings, no mosques or any other structures have been discovered so far. The scantiness of Saracenic remains may lie primarily in the destruction of evidence which frequently is known to have been carried out by Christians in the course of the later Middle Ages. 1 However, this may also be due to the lack of archaeological interest in the study of material remains appertaining to this period. The only noteworthy archaeological evidence for the long Saracenic period in the Maltese islands is the cemetery, which was established on the remains of the Roman domus, Rabat (Malta). Even though this cemetery is considered to be of significant importance by many scholars, a proper study of these mortuary data has remained largely unstudied.