Digging deep with an archaeology experience in Malta’s historic capital

David Attenborough may be a national treasure, but he sure caused a stink with his recent gift of a shark’s tooth to young Prince George. Sir David had personally found the tooth – a fossilised gnasher from the jaws of a megalodon – in Malta, which prompted the Maltese government to request its return for posterity (before a swift U-turn). The claim showed how seriously Malta celebrates its cultural capital – but then, with its story encompassing the Neolithic, Phoenician and Byzantine eras plus the Knights of the Order of St John, it’s no surprise that these isles relish their past.

Discovering ancient temples and treasures is such a big part of Malta’s appeal that visits to some (such as the prehistoric Hypogeum burial site) require booking months in advance. But for history buffs keen to delve into the past without a crowd, I found an intriguing alternative at The Phoenicia in Valletta. As one of Malta’s finest hotels, it aims to make guests’ stays extra-special by offering experiences that are unavailable to the general public. Among them is a chance to take part in an actual archaeological dig. It sounded more Indiana Jones than a typical day trip, so I signed up at once.

These being commercial operations undertaken by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, each dig is generally
a short-lived element of a larger development project, so participation depends on what’s active during any guest’s stay. I was lucky: as well as an underwater survey and work on a 2,500-year-old tomb, my visit coincided with a dig in the bowels of St John’s Co-Cathedral, a short walk from The Phoenicia. As one of the pint-sized Maltese capital’s must-see attractions, this offered the perfect balance of behind-the-scenes history and sightseeing. The experience began with a private tour of the splendid baroque cathedral, whose freshly restored interiors gleamed with gold leaf.

James is set to work

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Not a single surface is undecorated: the floor is covered with marble tombstones commemorating notable knights and the walls are a mass of decorative reliefs beneath a vaulted ceiling painted with scenes from the life of John the Baptist. It’s a dazzling jewel box of colour. Such richness results from legacies gifted to the church by distinguished knights, each eager to outdo the largesse of the last. The outcome of all this is an untold wealth of priceless tapestries and artefacts, which brings us to why there was an archaeological dig going on downstairs.

In repurposing the crypt to house a museum of ecclesiastical silver, builders had stumbled upon a series of tombs beneath the flagstones. The Superintendence was called in to perform a proper survey, which is how I found myself with Jonathan Borg, its head of heritage monitoring, looking into a pit at the collapsed remains of a coffin. “He’s probably a high-ranking knight from the late 18th century,” he said as we crouched beside the grave. “Out of respect for the dead, we won’t excavate any deeper, but we’re using groundpenetrating radar to find out what lies within.” Things got even more real as we stepped outside to the courtyard, where preparing foundations to extend the museum had uncovered a 16th-century cemetery. Here, one of Jonathan’s team was brushing soil from a human femur revealed by the excavations.

“We’ve found a dozen skeletons so far,” said Jonathan. “We think these were knights who fought in the Great Siege of 1565. One of them had a string of animal-bone beads around his wrist, which was very exciting. Archaeology is often about dealing with fragments, so to find larger artefacts is incredibly rare.” Jonathan explained that on certain projects, there’s scope to get more hands-on (for example, by sieving through soil to look for traces of bone or ceramic), but coronavirus restrictions limited my participation to observing. I didn’t feel like this detracted from the experience, however: it was still an enormous privilege to be on site taking everything in, and the fact that each dig is ephemeral only adds to its prestige.

“Anyway,” Jonathan went on to say, “you would probably find nothing. But there’s also the slightest chance that you might make an amazing discovery – and that’s what keeps this job so fascinating.”

Archaeology experiences can be booked via The Phoenicia’s concierge (phoeniciamalta.com). Doubles from €130 (£117) per night, including breakfast. Elegant Resorts (01244 897271) can package seven nights with flights and transfers from £1,185pp. Overseas holidays are currently subject to restrictions – check the latest advice before booking and travelling.

Read the full review: Phoenicia Hotel, Malta

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