An archaeological survey of Baħrija

Abstract

Large scatters of pottery were observed on the Qlejgħa hilltop in the summer of 2001, during a field visit to Bahrija with Dr Claudia Sagona and Keith Buhagiar. A Bronze Age settlement is thought to have been located on the plateau, as a lot of material from that period was found there during two excavations carried out in 1909 and 1959 by Eric Peet and David Trump (sec below). The ceramic fragments noted on the surface in 2001, however, included material that is not usually associated with the Bronze Age. The possibility of undertaking this research exercise started to be considered following discussions that were held on site on that day. This study is aimed at: 1. Integrating information that is already known about the site, through excavations carried out in 1909 and 1959 and through a number of visits to the site in the past, and recording the extent and location of past interventions. This would be done mainly through archival research. 2. Studying the site on the Qlejgha hilltop within its landscape context. 3. Confirming through systematic study the presence, or otherwise, of ceramic wares other than those that were studied by Eric Peet, John Evans and David Trump in the past, and to see whether these wares could be similar in type to the early Phoenician pottery present in the Mtarfa collection. This systematic study would involve, a. plotting the extent and distribution of pottery scatters and other cultural features on the Qlejgha hilltop, and explaining the resulting patterns; b. collecting and analysing surface finds from the Qlejgha hilltop; and c. studying pottery ohtained from past excavations, so that the identification of pottery sherds collected from Qlejgha during this research exercise would be possible.