Ras il-Wardija is a promontory in the limits of San Lawrenz, on the southwest coast of Gozo,

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

. It contains the remains of a Punic-Roman sanctuary, which was excavated by Italian archaeologists in the 1960s. The area is privately owned and it is currently in a dilapidated state.

The site

Ras il-Wardija was probably first inhabited in the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second prin ...

, in around 1500 BC. In around the 3rd century BC, during the

Punic The Punic people, or western Phoenicians, were a Semitic people in the Western Mediterranean who migrated from Tyre, Phoenicia to North Africa during the Early Iron Age. In modern scholarship, the term ''Punic'' – the Latin equivalent of t ...

period, a religious complex (probably a nymphaeum) was established in the area. Since the site is clearly visible from the sea, it might have also served as a

beacon A beacon is an intentionally conspicuous device designed to attract attention to a specific location. A common example is the lighthouse, which draws attention to a fixed point that can be used to navigate around obstacles or into port. More mode ...

for ships travelling between the

Maltese Islands Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

and

North Africa North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in ...

. The site remained in use throughout the

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

period. Carved crosses on the walls suggest that the site eventually became a Christian place of worship. The site remained in use until around the 4th century AD. A hermitage might have existed in the area during the medieval period. The main structural elements of the site are: *a rock-hewn rectangular chamber, with a number of niches in the walls *a T-shaped rock-hewn corridor leading to the chamber *a water reservoir and a bell-shaped well, both rock-hewn *the remains of an external masonry structure including an altar The masonry structure has some similarities to the remains of the Punic-Roman sanctuary at

Tas-Silġ Tas-Silġ is a rounded hilltop on the south-east coast of the island of Malta, overlooking Marsaxlokk Bay, and close to the town of Żejtun. Tas-Silġ is a major multi-period sanctuary site with archaeological remains covering four thousand year ...

Marsaxlokk Marsaxlokk () is a small, traditional fishing village in the South Eastern Region of Malta. It has a harbour, and is a tourist attraction known for its views, fishermen and history. As at March 2014, the village had a population of 3,534. The ...

Excavations and recent history

The area around Ras il-Wardija was used for defensive purposes during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. The site was first excavated by the Missione Archaeologica Italiana a Malta (Archaeological Mission of Malta) between 1964 and 1967. The temple was well preserved until the excavations, but it has since deteriorated. On 30 March 1988, it was discovered that an ancient graffito carved on one of the walls of the sanctuary had been stolen. The graffito shows a human figure with outstretched arms, in the shape of a cross. It has been suggested that the figure represents the Punic goddess

Tanit Tanit ( Punic: 𐤕𐤍𐤕 ''Tīnīt'') was a Punic goddess. She was the chief deity of Carthage alongside her consort Baal-Hamon. Tanit is also called Tinnit. The name appears to have originated in Carthage (modern day Tunisia), though it doe ...

, but it might also be a medieval representation of a Christian cross. The graffito was recovered in June 2011, and it is now on display at the

Gozo Museum of Archaeology The Gozo Museum of Archaeology ( mt, Il-Mużew tal-Arkeoloġija ta' Għawdex) is a museum in the Cittadella of Victoria in Gozo, Malta. The museum of Archaeology was opened in 1960 as the first public museum in Gozo and was known as the Gozo Museu ...

in the

Cittadella Cittadella ( vec, Sitadeła) is a medieval walled city in the province of Padua, northern Italy, founded in the 13th century as a military outpost of Padua. The surrounding wall has been restored and is in circumference with a diameter of around ...

. The land on which the sanctuary is located is privately owned by George Spiteri, and permission may be required in order to access the site. It is listed on the

National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands The National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands (NICPMI) is a heritage register listing the cultural property of Malta. The inventory includes properties such as archaeological sites, fortifications, religious buildings, mo ...

References

{{Authority control San Lawrenz Phoenician temples Temples in Malta Archaeological sites in Malta National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands Phoenician colonies in Malta