Sir Themistocles "Temi" Zammit (or Żammit; 30 September 1864 – 2 November 1935) was a Maltese archaeologist and historian, professor of chemistry, medical doctor, researcher and writer. He served as Rector (1920–26) of the Royal

University of Malta The University of Malta (, UM, formerly UOM) is a higher education institution in Malta. It offers undergraduate bachelor's degrees, postgraduate master's degrees and postgraduate doctorates. It is a member of the European University Association ...

and first Director of the National Museum of Archaeology in his native city,

Valletta Valletta (, mt, il-Belt Valletta, ) is an Local councils of Malta, administrative unit and capital city, capital of Malta. Located on the Malta (island), main island, between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Harbour to the east, i ...

Career

After graduating in medicine from the

, Zammit specialised in

bacteriology Bacteriology is the branch and specialty of biology that studies the morphology, ecology, genetics and biochemistry of bacteria as well as many other aspects related to them. This subdivision of microbiology involves the identification, classificat ...

in London and Paris. It's understood that in 1905 the discovery of contaminated milk as the vector for transmission to humans of '' Brucellosis melitensis'' present in the blood of the goat greatly contributed to the elimination from the islands of undulant fever, earning him the knighthood. However, it was Giuseppe Caruana Scicluna (1853-1921), the first Maltese analyst and bacteriologist trained at the world renowned Pasteur Institute in Paris who carried out most, if not all, of the bacteriological work. Author of several literary works in the

Maltese language Maltese ( mt, Malti, links=no, also ''L-Ilsien Malti'' or '), is a Semitic language derived from late medieval Sicilian Arabic with Romance superstrata spoken by the Maltese people. It is the national language of Malta and the only offici ...

, Zammit was conferred the DLitt Honoris Causa by Oxford University. He was

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be ...

, having previously been admitted as a Companion to the

Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, George III, King George III. ...

. He also published a history of the Maltese islands and excavated important archaeological sites, such as the

Hypogeum A hypogeum or hypogaeum (plural hypogea or hypogaea, pronounced ; literally meaning "underground", from Greek language, Greek ''hypo'' (under) and ''ghê'' (earth)) is an underground temple or tomb. Hypogea will often contain niche (archite ...

and the megalithic

Tarxien Temples The Tarxien Temples ( mt, It-Tempji ta' Ħal Tarxien, ) are an archaeological complex in Tarxien, Malta. They date to approximately 3150 BC. The site was accepted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992 along with the other Megalithic temples on ...

Ħaġar Qim Ħaġar Qim (; "Standing/Worshipping Stones") is a megalithic temple complex found on the Mediterranean island of Malta, dating from the Ġgantija phase (3600-3200 BC). The Megalithic Temples of Malta are among the most ancient religious ...

and

Mnajdra Mnajdra ( mt, L-Imnajdra) is a megalithic temple complex found on the southern coast of the Mediterranean island of Malta. Mnajdra is approximately from the Ħaġar Qim megalithic complex. Mnajdra was built around the fourth millennium BCE; the ...

, which have since been declared

UNESCO World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

Legacy

Zammit's scientific approach to archaeology further enhanced his international reputation. A permanent display of some of his findings may be viewed at the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta. The main hall of the University of Malta bears Zammit's name. The Sir Temi Zammit Hall is a multipurpose auditorium which is used as a lecture hall, theatre, and student graduations venue. Zammit is depicted on two commemorative Maltese coins: a Maltese 1 Pound (Lm1) coin dated 1973 and a Maltese 5 Pounds (Lm5) coin dated 2006. Both coins are silver and depict his likeness alongside his dates of birth and death. Zammit signed most of his works with his initials T. Z.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zammit, Themistocles 1864 births 1935 deaths Maltese archaeologists Knights Bachelor Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Maltese historians Maltese physicians Maltese knights People from Valletta University of Malta academic personnel 19th-century archaeologists 19th-century historians 20th-century archaeologists 20th-century historians Maltese curators University of Malta alumni English-language writers from Malta

Career

Legacy

Further reading

References