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12 NEWS maltatoday | SUNDAY • 8 SEPTEMBER 2024 JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt Rare 6th-century BCE wash basin discovered Archaeological investigations uncover 64 artefacts after studies to assess impact of proposed boulder revetement wall to protect the Ballut ta' Marsaxlokk seashore from erosion AN archaeological investi- gation in the Ballut area of Marsaxlokk, conducted by the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage, has yielded 64 indi- vidual artefacts, including a sizeable fragment of a louteri- on - a vessel used for holding water for bathing or washing, usually mounted on a pedestal, and used in both domestic and sacred or ritual settings. Louteria are typical of the Greek Late Archaic period of the 6th and 5th centuries BCE, although non-Greek indige- nous cultures in the Central Mediterranean had also adapt- ed louteria to their needs. These findings emerge from a preliminary report on ar- chaeological investigations prompted by a proposal by the Environment and Resources Authority to build a 130m-long boulder revetment along the Ballut ta' Marsaxlokk seashore, to protect the habitat from sea erosion. The coastal wetland's shore- line is being impacted by sea erosion, and the revetment aims to reclaim the land area lost over the past decades due to these coastal changes. While the archaeological re- port is only preliminary and the artefacts still being ana- lysed, at least 64 individual items have been inventoried to date. Ceramics make up the greatest percentage of finds, but faunal and marine bone, metal, and stone objects were also recovered. Of particular note is a frag- ment of a louterion that was recovered from a trench, at a depth of roughly 45cm below the seabed. The basin frag- ment, originally part of an ob- ject 70cm in diameter, features elaborate decorations, and the image of horse-drawn chari- ots can be discerned around its rim. Similar examples from Sicily date to the 6th and 5th centuries BCE. Louteria with horse char- iot depictions are rare but have been found in Greek and Etruscan contexts, including sites like Corinth, Athens and Greek colonies in Sicily and southern Italy. These basins often feature elaborate scenes of chariots, symbolizing victo- ry or divine favor, and reflect their use in ritual settings. These artefacts are consid- ered to have played a crucial role in various religious, do- mestic, and ceremonial con- texts, making them valuable for understanding ancient so- cieties. Louteria were commonly used in purification rituals, both in domestic settings and temples. Water from a louteri- on was often used for cleansing before prayers, sacrifices, or other religious ceremonies. In households, louteria were used for washing, bathing, or other everyday purposes. Discover- ies of louteria in residential ar- eas can shed light on the daily routines and hygiene practices of ancient peoples. Often de- picted in ancient art, includ- ing pottery and sculpture, they linked to mythological stories. The archaeological investi- gations also uncovered several objects embedded in the sea- bed, including an almost com- plete bowl, which is currently being analysed. The concen- tration of a significant amount Large fragment of Louterian found 45cm below the seabed at Il-Ballut in Marsaxlokk