Three Days of Digs, Tours and Events Across Malta: European Archaeology Days 2025
The Superintendence of Cultural Heritage is pleased to announce that European Archaeology Days are once again being organised for the 13, 14 and 15 June this year, with events for all ages and interests happening across Malta. Entities and associations across Malta will be lifting the curtain and highlighting the fascinating study of archaeology, and the interdisciplinary work that goes into the care and preservation of such material culture.
Visitors were invited for a behind the scenes visit to the Latnija Excavation site for EAD this year. Prof. Eleanor Scerri from the Max Planck Institute, Prof Nicholas Vella, Dr Mario Mata-Gonzalez from the Department of Classics and Archaeology and Dr Ritienne Gauci from the Department of Geography at the University of Malta, and Chief Officer Kevin Borda from the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, members from the research team behind the recent ground-breaking discovery at the Latnija site joined these visitos for a unique ‘on-site’ tour and discussion.
For underwater cultural heritage lovers, the Global Maritime in Archaeology Program within the Department of Classics and Archaeology at the University of Malta and the Underwater Cultural Heritage Unit at Heritage Malta are hosted an ‘open day’ at the coastal site of Salina. Visitors were also taken on a virtual dive into the site through the “Dive into History” 360 experience and interact with artefacts being recovered.
The Malta Classics Association, in collaboration with the Department of Classics and Archaeology at the University of Malta, is hosted a public lecture by Becky Xerri. This lecture detailed the speaker’s ongoing doctoral research in deepwater cultural heritage at the University of Malta. The concept of access to underwater archaeological sites that were previously ‘out of sight, out of mind’ will be discussed in light of the speaker’s research goal – that of establishing a framework of the creation, management and communication of deepwater cultural heritage. This study focuses specifically on deepwater archaeological parks, as opposed to sites or preserves with a special feature on the recently inaugurated Xlendi Underwater Archaeological Park.
Heritage Malta is also participating in this year’s EAD, with a number of sites and events open to the public, namely the Nationa Museum of Archaeology, Kordin III, and the Tarxien Prehistoric Sites.
Now in its fourth year running in Malta, the event is part of a continent-wide initiative spearheaded by the French Ministry of Culture and the Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP) and is under the auspices of the Council of Europe. European Archaeology Days seeks to create innovative and interactive activities to introduce the public to the treasures of their national heritage and the secrets of the professions.
