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James Debono
In the wake of revelations that the area next to the heliport presently identified for the development of an airstrip could be rich in archaeological remains, the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA) is inviting the public to signal any archaeological remains in the area.
A Gozitan archaeologist who visited the site told MaltaToday that trenches connected to vine cultivation, possibly dating back to Roman times, and prehistoric cart ruts and monoliths are present on the site identified for the airstrip.
“In the environs of the heliport, one finds a number of stones, including two monoliths which could have been part of a larger structure dating back to prehistoric times,” the archaeologist said.
He urged the authorities to conduct proper studies before considering any development in the area. Similar reports were published in newspaper l-Orizzont on Wednesday.
Archaeological remains in the area are already indicated in a map in the Gozo and Comino local plan but these remains lie either at the periphery or outside the affected area. According to MEPA these can still be easily integrated in interventions connected to the development of an airstrip.
The area under consideration was surveyed by MEPA “a couple of months ago”, but the authority acknowledges that since the area is largely covered with soil, it is difficult to see what lies beneath. “The preliminary archaeological survey did not register insurmountable problems as the area is has been predominantly heavily disturbed. But this does not mean that surprises cannot appear during the intervention stage.”
Photos of a short stretch of cart ruts in the field next to the southern boundary of the heliport were also published on the website www.megalithic.co.uk. According to a British enthusiast posting on this site, “much of their length is now obscured by dumping created when the heliport was built.”
Xewkija is rich in archaeological remains to the extent that archaeologist David Trump had noted “several fine pairs” of cart ruts in the olive grove west of the pumping station, just south of Xewkija, less than a kilometre away from the proposed airstrip.
In 1948 il-Berqa revealed that parts of these cart ruts were vandalised when explosives were used to clear the ground for the olive grove.
MEPA abiding to local plan
MEPA has also acknowledged its participation in the ad hoc committee set up by the government to explore the possibilities of opting for a fixed wing service in Gozo. MEPA’s role in the committee “was to advise, in terms of planning policy implications, any higher level decisions related to the termination of the rotary wing service and the introduction of a fixed wing service.”
But MEPA remains committed to the recently approved local plan, which clearly states a study should evaluate the potential benefits against its environmental consequences of the project.
The local plan also states that MEPA should assist the government in drafting the terms of reference for a study which should also explore alternatives to a hard runway such as the use of amphibious aircraft landing at Marsalforn.
It also states that no concrete evidence exists to demonstrate that a fixed wing service would be viable. “MEPA’s advice in the ad hoc committee was based on the policy direction which appears in the approved Gozo and Comino Local Plan,” a spokesperson said.
jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt
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