WATCH | Post-Roman burial ground unearthed at Bidnija

A post-Roman burial ground has been discovered at Bidnija containing at least two skeletal remains.

In a press release on Tuesday, Heritage stated that the findings provide fresh insight into the area’s long-term historical development and appear to corroborate information from Late Medieval historical sources, which indicate the area remained in use well beyond the Roman age in Malta.

Heritage Malta noted that the burial site is the latest in a number of findings that shed light on the area’s social and agricultural history.

(Photos: Heritage Malta)

(Photos: Heritage Malta)

“From an apsed building, conservator-restorers have meticulously uncovered layers of fine decorated plaster, carefully lifting each piece for further study and conservation,” Heritage Malta said.

The researchers also found the presence of the ancient olive grove and a unique Roman stone vat specifically used to decant olive oil.

The excavations are part of the OLEA project, a collaborative effort launched in 2020 involving Heritage Malta, the University of Malta, and the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage. 

(Photos: Heritage Malta)

(Photos: Heritage Malta)

The initiative combines national expertise and resources to manage, protect, and study one of Malta’s most promising rural heritage sites, situated in Bidnija.

Heritage Malta said that the OLEA project continues to serve as a vital training ground for University of Malta archaeology students, providing them with valuable hands-on fieldwork experience while contributing to an active research project.

The site first came to the attention of Sir Temi Zammit in 1912 but remained largely unexplored until it was revisited during the Malta Survey Project (2008–2012). The Malta Survey Project used ground-penetrating radar and surface artefact analysis, which revealed buried structures consistent with a Roman villa farm complex, located near an olive grove estimated to be over 500 years old.

Future excavations at Bidnija are scheduled to resume next year.