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maltatoday | SUNDAY • 30 MARCH 2025 3 CULTURE A complex wreck site off Xlendi Bay - how to study and how to share? WIRT Għawdex will hold the third in its series of talks for 2025 on Friday the 28th of March at 6.30pm at St Cecilia Chapel, Għajnsielem. The talk by Prof. Timmy Gambin, which will be delivered in English, will focus on the study of a complex wreck site off Xlendi Bay. Although better known for the 7th century BCE Phoenician ship- wreck, there is other significant archaeological material off Xlendi Bay, Gozo. Since the late 1950s, a number of cultural objects, main- ly amphorae, have been recovered from the seabed just under the coastal watch tower that guards the entrance into Xlendi. Var- ious exploratory projects were conducted on this deep-water multi-period site with mixed re- sults. In 1993, a submarine survey revealed a dense scatter of am- phorae located in depths varying between 108 and 112 metres. In 2007, the extent of this archaeo- logical deposit was mapped and recorded, revealing a rectangular zone of high archaeological value and consisting of varying densities of archaeological material, spread over a total area of 70,000m². Be- sides the visible material, the pres- ence of archaeological remains buried in the sediment is also very likely, owing to the continuous sediment deposition from the Xlendi ria. The seabed consists of a silty/sand punctuated by a series of rocky outcrops that vary in size, and around which archae- ological objects have accumulat- ed, such as urns, bowls and other ceramic objects. The quantity of homogenous material suggests the presence of at least one ship- wreck datable to the third century BCE. Since 2021, Heritage Malta launched an ambitious project to record the site in high-reso- lution so as to better understand the morphology of this unique underwater archaeological site. This talk starts with the early be- ginnings of research in this area covering the methodologies used over the decades. It shall also out- line the preliminary results' em- phasis on the pottery repertoire present on the seabed, as well as Heritage Malta's efforts to share this ancient cultural treasure. Timmy Gambin is a Professor of Maritime Archaeology in the Department of Classics and Ar- chaeology at the University of Malta, from where he obtained a B.A. in History. Following his undergraduate studies, he went on to attain an M.A. in Maritime Archaeology and History at the University of Bristol in the UK where he continued his post- graduate studies by reading for a doctorate in Maritime Archaeol- ogy. In 2001, Gambin joined the Department as a visiting lecturer and took up a full time post as Senior Lecturer in spring of 2012. Over the past years, Gambin has been involved in numerous col- laborative research projects. The PaleoMed Project with the CNRS (Aix-en-Provence) is aimed at the reconstruction of ancient coastal landscapes and environments of the Maltese Islands. The multidis- ciplinary approach sees archae- ologists working together with geomorphologists and palynolo- gists. The Ancient Cisterns Pro- ject with CalPoly (USA) explores underground water management systems through the use of small remote operated vehicles armed with a variety of sensors. To- gether with a number of local partners and authorities, he also directed numerous offshore un- derwater surveys in various parts of the Mediterranean including Spain, Italy and Croatia. A major project is the excavation of the Phoenician Shipwreck off the is- land of Gozo. Datable to 700 BCE, it is currently the oldest known shipwreck in the central Mediter- ranean. After the talk there will be time for questions from the audi- ence and discussion. APS Bank is sponsoring our series of talks while Delicata Winery are kindly sponsoring the events' post-talk drinks. The event on Face- book can be found here: h t t p s : / / w w w . f a c e b o o k . c o m / events/1131316625343381. Free registration is suggested through this link: https://docs.google. com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeeX- sb9uYEYe54ezRRO1DavflHfc- nwxpAC6kq2lKO2qCyHfLw/ viewform?usp=sharing. Wirt Għawdex is a voluntary non-governmental organisation founded in 1981 with the aims of fostering the knowledge of our heritage amongst all levels of soci- ety and to strive to safeguard the natural, archaeological, historical and anthropological patrimony of the islands of Gozo and Comi- no. This is the third in a series of talks to be held each month rang- ing from literature and old doc- uments to underwater heritage. The general public is invited to attend.