Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1483500
6 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 6 NOVEMBER 2022 NEWS COURT NOTICES 1880 By decree given by the Civil Court, First Hall, on 4th November, 2021, in the acts of the Sworn Application number 67/2021RGM, which was presented on 27th January, 2021, in the names: Alsameta Ltd vs Mensija Real Estate Ltd, the following publication was ordered, pursuant to Article 187(3) et sequitur of Cap. 12 to serve as a notification against the respondent. e applicant asked this Honorable Court to, among others: It orders the defendant society to pay the plaintiff society the amount thus liquidated. With the costs, and interests against the defendant society which is now summoned so that a reference to their evidence be made. e Sworn Application in the names mentioned above is postponed to 31st January, 2023, at 9.00 a.m. Notification Respondent: Mensia Real Estate, 14, Triq Salvu Gatt, San Gwann Register of the Superior Courts, today 24th October, 2022 CARMEL ABELA, M.SC. IN MANAGEMENT, DPA, DIP. LAWS OF PROCED. (MELIT.) For the Registrar, Civil Courts and Tribunals JAMES DEBONO HEAPS discarded and left un- attended in fields next to a con- struction site for a new five-storey apartment block in Rabat, Gozo, may contain valuable archaeolog- ical material possibly dating back to the earliest phases of human settlement in the island: name- ly the early Żebbuġ phase (4000 BC) and possibly the Għar Dalam phase (5800 BC). Taċ-Ċawla, a site recognised for its archaeological importance, is unique because remains found in the past years are suggestive of a domestic habitation, unlike other sites dating to this period, which are mainly funerary. MaltaToday can confirm that the permit for this development on previously undeveloped land, was issued in the absence of a pri- or archaeological investigation, as initially requested by the Super- intendence for Cultural Heritage – but with a condition that works are monitored by an archaeologist approved by the heritage watch- dog. Dutch archaeologists Adrian Van der Blom and Veronica Veen had a major role in the discov- ery of the Taċ-Ċawla site back in the early 1990s, stumbled on the heaps during a brief visit to the site in June 2022 during which he inspected the top layer, of which they have retained photographic evidence. On that occasion, the elderly ar- chaeologist documented around 80 pieces from the topsoil, in- cluding pottery shards and animal bones and molars, which were duly reported and delivered to the Maltese heritage authorities. 40 more pieces, including a fine tunnel handle, were documented during a second visit to the site in August. Van der Blom contends that these findings could shed light on the domestic life of the forerun- ners of the temple builders, and is calling for a full investigation of the site before any further build- ing permits are issued in the area. Questions sent by MaltaToday to the Superintendence for Cul- tural Heritage on the significance of these findings and on the ar- chaeological monitoring of works related to the five-storey develop- ment have remained unanswered. Permit issued without prior ar- chaeological investigation A permit for a ground floor mai- sonette, eight apartments, and underlying garages at basement level in Triq in-Neolitiċi in Rabat, was issued in 2021. In its first reaction to the appli- cation in March 2020, the Super- intendence for Cultural Heritage had immediately alerted the Plan- ning Authority to the archaeo- logical importance of site, which is officially designated as the Taċ-Ċawla Area of Archaeolog- ical Importance (AAI). The SCH referred to "traces of a prehistoric structure and associated cultural material discovered in the imme- diate vicinity of the proposed de- velopment during investigations carried out between 1993 and 1995 on an adjacent site." Noting that "the proposal will require extensive ground clearing and rock-cutting to form the pro- posed basement level and water reservoir," the Superintendence called for an archaeological eval- uation of the site prior to the is- suing of a development permit, as required by the Cultural Heritage Act. This archaeological evalua- tion was to be carried out by the applicant but carried out in keep- ing with directions and terms of reference issued by the Superin- tendence. But no such prior investigation was carried out prior to the issue of the permit, because a previous permit for excavations on the same site had already been issued to another applicant in 2019. This permit had included a condition requiring archaeological monitor- ing during the works, but foresaw no assessment of the site prior to its issue. "Given that the previous permit is still valid and can be utilised to excavate the site, the conditions set out in the previous permit are being copied to cover this devel- opment application," the case officer said when referring to the SCH's call for a prior archaeologi- cal evaluation. Strangely when assessing the first permit issued in 2019, the SCH had not called for a prior investigation, and had simply imposed monitoring conditions which were included in the per- mit. While archaeological monitor- ing during works – if properly implemented – can be effective in safeguarding remains found dur- ing works and even lead to chang- es in plans, a prior archaeological evaluation ensures that planning decisions are informed by the out- come of these investigations. Such investigations are regularly done prior to the issue of permits on ar- chaeologically-sensitive sites. For example, the SCH had or- dered prior archaeological inves- tigations prior to the issue of per- mits on a number of sites like the site of the Center Park in Qormi, which resulted in the discovery of Roman tombs and cart ruts, which were integrated in the project. In this case it remains a mys- tery how heaps allegedly full of archaeological material were left exposed in nearby fields, despite archaeological monitoring during the works. MaltaToday has asked the Su- perintendence to provide it with a copy of the terms of reference for the archaeological monitoring of the site and whether this included any investigation prior to ground disturbance and excavations. It al- so asked the Superintendence for the outcome of its investigations on the archaeological material re- covered from the heaps left unat- tended in nearby fields, which had been reported by Van der Blom. The TaC-Cawla saga Back in 1991, Van der Blom and his wife Veronica Veen, who is also a cultural anthropologist, made their greatest find, consist- ing of domestic remains dating to the Għar Dalam phase, found in a building trench and on the ad- joining heaps, in a situation not so different from the present one. In the early 1990s, the couple had vigorously campaigned against sprawling building development in the area. At that time the Museums De- partment disputed the findings and even initiated a court case against the two archaeologists, accusing them of conducting il- legal excavations, which were dis- missed by the law courts. Excavations over the years by an Oxford team in 1995 and a British-Maltese project in 2014 uncovered an extensive com- plex of prehistoric foundations, floors and walls, mainly from the Żebbuġ and Ġgantija phase, with Għar Dalam remains in pockets underneath. Bones and pottery found in heaps next to Gozitan construction site Dutch archaeologists find bones and pottery shards in abandoned heaps next to construction site, which could offer insights on the daily life of Malta's earliest inhabitants COMPANY IN LIQUIDATION Persons or entities having claims against the below mentioned company which is in liquidation: RCLIN PHARMA LIMITED – C-77440 are requested to submit their claims in writing duly supported by detailed documentation by not later than the 21 December 2022 to The Liquidator, Mr. Michael Debono CPA, Amber Court Block C No 1 Qormi Road Santa Venera SVR1301 Malta or preferably by email on michael@dconsulta.eu.