A.A. Caruana’s 1891 exploration campaign in Victoria – Gozo

Abstract

The major works on the Maltese Phoenicio-Punic and Roman hypogea published during the past two decades feature an unrealistically low number of entries for Gozo. This scenario assumes a completely different twist, however, when reading through earlier publications, particularly the ones authored by Dr. A.A. Caruana. Eventually, in his Ancient Pagan Tombs and Christian Cemeteries in the Islands of Malta explored and surveyed from the year 1881 to the year 1897, Caruana reaffirms that the area encompassing Tal-Braġ, Vairinga, Piazza St. Agostino, and Għajn il-Gbira is scattered with rock tombs and burial caves. Nonetheless, in this publication Caruana produces three plans only of such burial caves. Moreover, no distribution map like the one of the boundaries and extent of the ancient Graeco-Roman capital ‘Melita’ and of its suburb is included, and notwithstanding Caruana’s quoted claim, little could be said about the necropolis of the Classical town of Gaulos.