FAA condemns intimidation of archaeologist by heritage watchdog

Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar has condemned the treatment meted out to archaeologist Dr Dawn Adrienne Saliba, president of the NGO Malta Arch, after she was threatened with legal action by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage (SCH) for expossing the presence of ancient man-made caves and megalodon fossils under the roadworks for the widening of Triq Marsalforn.

FAA said some of the fossils were actually retrieved from beneath the bulldozer tracks, in spite of the presence of an SCH archaeology monitor.

“This shocking discovery is made more outrageous by the fact that the SCH threatened Dr Saliba with legal action for having exposed these facts publicly, demanding an apology,” FAA said.

“This is outright intimidation, very serious harassment which violates the EU Directive on Public Access to Environmental Matters (Aarhus Convention),” FAA said, specifying that nobody can be penalised while exercising their right to public access to the environment.

“This destruction of archaeological remains in the course of works, and in the presence of SCH monitors is not a one-off as it has been reported several times over the years. Just a few months ago at a site within the Brockdorf Circle in Xagħra Gozo ritualised human remains in ancient caves were reported by residents and immediately cleared by the developers, lost for posterity. Why did the SCH not take legal action, in line with the Heritage Act then?” FAA asked.

Dawn Adrienne Saliba commented that the road project during which she found the fossils was not only going to destroy vital ecological habitats but also two fossil-containing layers (C1 and C2). “If I found two megalodon teeth and one possible large rib bone in this tiny patch, how much more is there to be destroyed under Triq Marsalforn?”

FAA said archaeology monitors were often absent or experienced problems in carrying out their work when development is approved in the heart of an archaeological zone.

“One shudders to think how much heritage has been lost over the years, not just archaeology but also architecture, from an Arab-period house in Safi, Medieval houses in Siggiewi, the magnificent 1537 Armoury of the Knights in Qormi and the Bovile at Manoel Island, to mention just a few,” FAA said.

“The fact is that the very authorities responsible for protecting Malta's cultural or natural heritage are betraying their remit. ERA justified the destruction of Malta's most highly protected mature trees to be destroyed by the Marsalforn project on the grounds of supplementary plantings which will never replace the unique ecosystems being destroyed.”