Reassessment of the UCLA excavations 1983-1984 at the Melita Esplanade in Rabat (Malta)
The project, titled "Rediscovering Roman Melite: UCLA Excavations 1983-1984 at the Melita Esplanade in Rabat (Malta)," aims to comprehensively reassess the unpublished archaeological excavations conducted by UCLA in the early 1980s. Situated in the historic Melita Esplanade, now a city parking lot, these excavations unearthed crucial elements of the Roman city of Melite. This site, linked with the prominent Domvs Romana, holds significant potential to illuminate the socio-cultural and economic history of Roman Malta. The project will integrate advanced archaeological science and remote sensing techniques to contextualize previously documented structures, providing a fresh perspective on the archaeology of domestic space in this region.
The applicants, leveraging their extensive expertise and recent advances in the field, have already made considerable progress. Key archaeological findings have been studied, illustrated, and digitized, including the crucial excavation data and documentation previously unavailable. The project plans to conduct petrographic and chemical analyses of selected pottery to understand technical aspects of production and to perform geophysical surveys of the Melita Esplanade. This effort will culminate in a comprehensive, open-access monograph titled "Rediscovering Roman Melite," co-edited by the applicants and featuring contributions from leading scholars. This work promises to offer new insights into the urban development and economic history of Roman Melite.
The reassessment project not only aims to complete the study of all recovered materials but also plans to conduct extensive non-destructive and destructive chemical analyses to ascertain the origins and contents of various archaeological finds. Furthermore, a detailed ground-penetrating radar survey will map the broader urban context of the site. The outcome will be a meticulously detailed monograph, poised to become a pivotal reference for understanding Roman influence on Malta's urban landscape. The project's meticulous approach ensures that the resulting publication will be a significant scholarly resource, filling a long-standing gap in the archaeological history of Roman Malta.
The publication project is directed by Davide Tanasi and David Cardona.
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