The promontory of Ras il-Wardija, on the northwestern cusp of the Island of Gozo holds one of the most spectacular temples of ancient Mediterranean dedicated to the Phoenician goddess Astarte.
The Phoenician-Punic Sanctuary of Ras il-Wardija dates to the 4th century BC, and hosts an important cult of Astarte/Hera throughout the Roman period (3rd BC-2nd AD). It was one of the main Mediterranean sanctuaries dedicated to the Great Goddess of sailors, along the ancient sea-route called Route of the Great Islands connecting the East and the West of the Mediterranean. This type of sanctuaries had the function of lighthouse, and in the case of Wardija, the whiteness of the temple made the coast visible from far away.
The general plan of the sanctuary has been partially clarified by the excavations of the Italian Mission that operated in the site between 1963-1967. However, a further investigation of the structures with respect to the territory behind it (consisting of a large open space modeled by some small hills), a deep analysis of rites and cults worshipped in the sanctuary, and the overall chronology are still missing.
The Phoenician-Punic Sanctuary is located south of the Dwejra Bay, not far from the Fungus Rock, a limestone massif rising at the entrance of the bay. On the massif and nearby the ¿legendary¿ Mushroom of Malta (Cynomorium coccineum) grows. During the 16th and 17th centuries, the dark red extract of C. coccineum was used as a panacea in the Great Hospital of the Knights of Malta in La Valletta. Its medicinal properties are known also in ancient times, and probably prompted the Phoenicians to establish nearby the Rock this sanctuary dedicated to Astarte and her companion, a deity with healer prerogatives.
Sapienza University, thanks to a new agreement with Heritage Malta, aims at resuming the research activities at Ras il-Wardija, pursuing the study of the sanctuary and following new research paths, including the environment and the ancient landscape.
The Sapienza Archaeological Expedition at Gozo aims at resuming the archaeological research in the Sanctuary of Ras il-Wardija with a new integrated approach, in order to contextualize it in the wide panorama of the cults of the Great Goddess in ancient Mediterranean. The advancement of knowledge on this topic fostered by archaeological discoveries of last decades allows a better understanding of features, their social and political function, and the deep cultural implication of these pan-Mediterranean cult place, that had a complex meaning that goes beyond their religious function.
The twenty-years-experience of excavation of the staff of the Expedition on the island of Motya, where an important cult of Astarte linked to that renowned of nearby Eryx was based, is the solid theoretical and methodological basis for an innovative reconsideration of the cults and rites worshipped in the sanctuary of Ras il-Wardija, as a mixture of local traditions and foreign elements. Environment and landscape have influenced the life of the Sanctuary in different degrees: in this perspective, an in-depth analysis of the background landscape and the environment, on which grows the therapeutic so-called Mushroom of Malta, outstands as main milestone for an innovative and original re-conceptualization of the Sanctuary of Ras il-Wardija.
To pursue the innovative research, the Project involves a multidisciplinary approach by availing of the professionality of the research team. A collaboration with Italian and Maltese scholars is also foresees for specific fields of research.
The Expedition is committed to giving the following products:
a) Multilingual panels aimed at explain the archaeological structures, to promote an ¿awarded¿ use of the site;
b) Online free-downloadable tourist guide in English for the site visitors;
c) A virtual exhibition space at the Gozo Museum in Rabat, with the 3D reconstructive model of the Sanctuary;
d) A program for the promotion of the site in cooperation with local Authorities.