Ta Kergrem rock tombs
The two rock tombs at Ta Kerċem were discovered and excavated in 2009 during the expansion work on the rectory of Kerċem (also Ta'Kerċem) on Gozo . Like some other rock tombs and sites on Gozo , they can be dated to the Maltese Tarxien phase (3000-2500 BC) on the basis of the pottery .
The rock tombs may have been recognized during the construction of the Kerċem parish church between 1846 and 1851, but were forgotten for another 163 years. When the square was cleared in 2008, the graves were uncovered. The structures were cut off to half of their original height, so only the lower part survived. Such discoveries are rare and focus on the meaning of Kerċem, which is also known for remains from the Neolithic of Malta ( Għar Dalam phase, around 5000 BC).
The technique used to build the Kerċem tombs is reminiscent of the hypogeum of Ħal-Saflieni . The builders used drilling and levering techniques to create the round chambers. The remains of the drill holes can be seen in the chamber walls, which can be entered through a roof entrance. One of the chambers had a small side chamber which still contained complete skeletons. A small column marked the entrance to the secondary chamber, the floor of which is lower than that of the main chamber. It served both as an ossuary and for primary burials; the dead were carefully separated on the stone floor. The sides of the chamber served as an ossuary. Some older burials have been pushed aside to make way for new ones. Some of the dead were buried in a crouched position; Votive offerings accompanied them. In the Kerċem tombs, fragments of pottery belonging to fine vessels repeating designs from the Tarxien phase were found. A number of blades made from local chert and small chips made from Sicilian flint have also been discovered.
The tombs are the most important aspect of a small community museum planned for the site.
literature
- Joachim von Freeden: Malta and the architecture of its megalithic temples. Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, Darmstadt 1993, ISBN 3-534-11012-9 , p. 50ff
Web links
Coordinates: 36 ° 2 ′ 30.8 ″ N , 14 ° 13 ′ 38.5 ″ E