On guard of the Mediterranean. Sapienza Archaeological Expedition at Gozo - Ras il-Wardija Project
| Componente | Categoria |
|---|---|
| Silvano Mignardi | Componenti strutturati del gruppo di ricerca / Structured participants in the research project |
| Stefania Garzoli | Componenti strutturati del gruppo di ricerca / Structured participants in the research project |
| Ilenia Melis | Dottorando/Assegnista/Specializzando componente non strutturato del gruppo di ricerca / PhD/Assegnista/Specializzando member non structured of the research group |
| Federico Cappella | Dottorando/Assegnista/Specializzando componente non strutturato del gruppo di ricerca / PhD/Assegnista/Specializzando member non structured of the research group |
| Componente | Qualifica | Struttura | Categoria |
|---|---|---|---|
| George Azzopardi | Curator | Archaeological Museum of Gozo | Altro personale aggregato Sapienza o esterni, titolari di borse di studio di ricerca / Other aggregate personnel Sapienza or other institution, holders of research scholarships |
| Ana Navarro | Historian of Religions | Museum of Sevilla | Altro personale aggregato Sapienza o esterni, titolari di borse di studio di ricerca / Other aggregate personnel Sapienza or other institution, holders of research scholarships |
| Lino Bianco | Associate Professor | Architecture & Urban Design Faculty for the Built Environment - University of Malta | Altro personale aggregato Sapienza o esterni, titolari di borse di studio di ricerca / Other aggregate personnel Sapienza or other institution, holders of research scholarships |
| Francesco Guizzi | Associate Professor | Sapienza University of Rome, Dept. Scienze dell'Antichità | Altro personale aggregato Sapienza o esterni, titolari di borse di studio di ricerca / Other aggregate personnel Sapienza or other institution, holders of research scholarships |
| Fabio Quici | Associate Professor | Sapienza University of Rome, Dept. History of design, restoration and architecture | Altro personale aggregato Sapienza o esterni, titolari di borse di studio di ricerca / Other aggregate personnel Sapienza or other institution, holders of research scholarships |
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.