Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1537190
GozoToday is a weekly newspaper focused primarily on Gozo. It hopes to serve as a source of information on business, culture, entertainment and of course current affairs. Gozo has a special charm about it but it is also a bustling Island with an identity of its own. GozoToday is published every Friday and is available to numerous outlets in Gozo and on the ferries that carry so many visitors to Gozo from Malta and beyond. GozoToday MediaToday Co. Ltd, Vjal ir-Rihan San Gwann SGN 9016 ASSISTANT EDITOR: LAURA CALLEJA Tel: (356) 21 382741-3, 21 382745-6 Website: www.maltatoday.com.mt E-mail: dailynews@mediatoday.com.mt 3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 4 JULY 2025 NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 On Wednesday, the SCH responded to the criticism, stating that no construction is taking place within the temple's desig- nated buffer zone or its Area of Archaeo- logical Importance. It also denied any fail- ure to act, insisting it had provided input on nearby development permits and that ongoing works are subject to archaeolog- ical monitoring. According to the SCH, the site was formally scheduled in 1994, with an additional protective designation added in 1998. "The Superintendence would like to clarify that no construction works are being carried out within the Santa Verna Temple buffer zone or Area of Archaeo- logical Importance, and where permitted, such works are subject to archaeological evaluation and monitoring," the heritage watch dog said. It added that specialists are present during authorised works in nearby zones and that proper protocols are in place to respond to any discoveries. FAA, however, rejected this explana- tion, arguing that the SCH is missing the core issue. While technically accurate, the statement overlooks what the NGO describes as widespread destruction just outside the defined protected boundaries. FAA highlighted reports of human skulls and prehistoric pottery, some potentially predating the Għar Dalam period, found discarded in bulldozed piles outside the scheduled area. These discoveries, the group said, were reported by residents, not officials, and only then did SCH in- tervene. "This reactive approach clearly shows that monitoring on the ground is either ineffective or absent," FAA said. "If there had been proper oversight, residents would not have had to sound the alarm after damage had already occurred." The NGO also criticised SCH's handling of recent archaeological finds in nearby areas such as Ta' Lablab, where funerary remains were excavated and removed to laboratory storage. FAA argues that this undermines the principle of in-situ pres- ervation, which allows archaeologists to study the exact location and layers in which artefacts are found. Without this context, much of the historical and scien- tific value is lost. "Preservation isn't just about collecting objects. It's about understanding how and where those objects were found," FAA said. "By removing them, we lose the abil- ity to study how prehistoric people lived, moved, and buried their dead. That con- text is gone forever." FAA also raised concerns over the SCH's response to development applica- tion PA 5844/22, known as "the Stables site," which lies just outside the scheduled area. Despite a third-party report indicat- ing possible megalithic remains, the SCH did not object to the project. The NGO argues this reflects a narrow and damag- ing interpretation of protection, saying that areas adjacent to the temple may of- fer crucial insight into Malta's pre-temple periods. Supporting FAA's claims, investigative reports have revealed that a Neolithic burial pit discovered near the site was not disclosed by SCH to the Planning Au- thority, resulting in its partial destruction. Human remains found in the area were only reported after residents intervened. FAA, along with other organisations in- cluding Għal Għawdex, Wirt Għawdex, and Din l-Art Ħelwa, is now calling for an immediate halt to all construction in the area surrounding the Santa Verna temple. The coalition is demanding a comprehen- sive archaeological study of the broader landscape, expansion of protective buff- er zones, proper enforcement of in-situ preservation practices, and greater trans- parency from SCH. "This isn't just about a single temple," FAA said. "It's about our national identi- ty, our legacy, and our duty to protect the evidence of thousands of years of human history." Experts warn that the ongoing destruc- tion threatens not just local heritage, but a site of international significance. With- out immediate action, they say, Malta risks the permanent loss of valuable in- sights into early Mediterranean societies. "We are witnessing the slow erasure of a world heritage landscape," FAA conclud- ed. "Without urgent intervention, much of Malta's priceless past could be perma- nently lost to reckless development and insufficient protection." FAA and local residents raise alarm about heavy machinery operating just metres from buffer zone The prehistoric burial pit at Ta' Lablab, Xaghra (Gozo), during the archaeological investigation (Photo: SCH)