VALLETTA , Malta – This week, archaeologists uncovered the remains of a 2,000-year-old Roman Domus, or domicile home, in Malta. A common home style in the 1st and 2nd centuries CE, this is not the first Roman home to be found in Malta, though it is the most recent archaeological discovery on the Mediterranean island nation.
Malta is a country that has often been conquered. Until the 1960s when the British reign was finally quelled. The last time the inhabitants of Malta were independent was during the prehistoric period, in which the island was inhabited by a little-understood society characterized by the giant Goddesses of their mysterious matriarchal religion. The Greeks found their way to the island in the third century BCE, and Malta was annexed to the Romans after the first Punic War when Greece too fell to the Empire.
Malta Photo Credit [Bengt Nyman [CC-ASA 3.0]
Malta, or Melite as it was called by the Romans and Greeks, prospered under the Roman Empire. Near Birzebbuga, a southeastern Maltese town, a massive Roman cistern was discovered, as well as an olive press, indicating oil production on the island, showing the influence and improvements to the economy made by the Romans.
Much archaeological evidence has been found that indicates the heavy Roman influence on the culture of Malta. In Rabat, two catacombs were uncovered from the first centuries CE: St. Agatha’s, found with in-tact frescoes; and St. Paul’s, where the Apostle was said to have stayed during his unexpected shipwrecking on the island. These catacombs indicate a tolerance for religious diversity found throughout the Roman Empire: Jewish menorahs were carved into the stone of St. Paul’s catacombs, and oil lamps were found as well, showing Christian symbology.
The current excavation was led by Davide Tanasi, professor and director of the University of South Florida’s Institute for Digital Exploration (IDEx). Students collaborated with a team of scientists from around the world on the Melite Civitas Romana Project, uncovering what life was like 2,000 years ago when Romans ruled Malta and the island was used for military staging and maritime trade.
Heritage Malta, the government organization responsible for the preservation and facilitation of ancient sites in Malta, is prolific and active across the small island country. It too was involved in the support of the excavation.
The new evidence led in the current work this summer will likely change the way the world thinks – or doesn’t – of Malta’s incredible history. One of the discoverers, doctoral student Angela Costello, explained the significance of the recent discovery. “Not only do we have the chance to uncover amazing Roman structures, but Malta is critically understudied despite being a wealth of fantastic archaeology and history from antiquity. So, by revisiting these old excavations and furthering the work with new digital methods, we are learning more and more about Roman Malta every day.”
When the Roman Empire fell in the 4th century CE, Malta became part of the Byzantine Empire and was essentially abandoned to its own devices until 870 AD, when the Islamic North African Berbers overthrew Constantinople and colonized Malta. This gives Malta its Middle Eastern atmosphere and the Arabic-inspired language it is known for today.
So what can we expect archaeologists to find in this newly-discovered Roman home? Over 150 years ago, the ‘Domus Romana’ was discovered, a Roman villa built in 100 BCE. This home is next door to the recently uncovered Roman Domus in question, although decidedly inhabited by very different people. Though it is over one hundred years older than the newest domus discovered, it can point the way for researchers and speculators. The home was discovered accidentally on the outskirts of Mdina. The most impressive aspects are the mosaic floor, and busts of the then-reigning Emperor Claudius and his family. This indicates a level of wealth and status associated with the inhabitants, as usually imperial statuary would only be found in political or public spaces. Interestingly, this domus, as well as the newly discovered one, is also adjacent to a cemetery, and in the excavation of the home, skeletons were uncovered that are on display in the home’s museum today.
Mosaics, statuary, and other stone decorations are expected to be found in the current excavation, as well as hopefully lararia, or home altars, that would have been common at the time. Most strikingly, the walls are over 10 feet tall, a unique find in any Mediterranean region, and it already challenges long-held beliefs about Roman architecture.
The biggest hints about the inhabitants’ identities, and the status of their wealth, will be found in their trash. “It was literally the garbage disposed by whomever lived in the house,” Tanasi said. “By studying this deposit, we will learn a lot about the life of who lived in the house. It is surprising how much you can learn about people from their garbage.”
The current team is already working to uncover what they can in the horde of pottery, animal bones, and other debris found at the site. Remarkably, a piece of pottery carved with Latin lettering was already identified, an important clue for researchers. The engraved letters D-A-O-I, possibly a hint to somebody’s name.
Other significant finds archaeologists are hopeful to find are coins, which would show wealth and status – not just in their number but in their origins. This discovery could add to the understanding of Roman trade, and Malta’s significance as an island on a major trade route between Africa and the Mediterranean.
This discovery is not only important for Malta’s research, but for the dozens of countries once under Roman rule to learn the clues to their own past, and hopefully pave the way for future research in Malta and beyond. Excavations will currently continue through 2025.
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