The project is part of the EU Culture 2000 Project Application and Heritage Malta is the Project Leader.

Three principle partners are involved in this programme: The National Museum of Archaeology, the Faculty of Environmental Sciences of Urbino, Italy, and APROTECO, an association for the economic development of the Lecrin valley in Granada, Spain. The local partners in the project are Restoration Unit, University of Malta and Malta Environmental Planning Authority (MEPA).

The study of cart-ruts is critical for the understanding of past human interaction with certain landscapes across Europe. The project aims to document and interpret two archaeological sites which have cart ruts.

One is Ghar Il-Kbir in Rabat, Malta and the other is Camino des los Molinos, Granada in Spain. These two particular sites were chosen as they are still largely untouched by present development and therefore may shed new light and clearer evidence on the real use, function and date of the cart-ruts.

Among the speakers present at the launch were Herman Bonnici, co-ordinator of the Restorative Unit, Dr Mario Tabone, chairman of Heritage Malta, Anthony Mifsud, permanent secretary in the Ministry for Resources and Infrastructure, and Minister for Resources and Infrastructure Ninu Zammit.

Mr Zammit pointed out that this is not the first collaboration between the Ministry and Heritage Malta. The project will "provide an important tool to historians and archaeologists interested in the study of this phenomenon. Furthermore, it will help to instil greater awareness of these sites".

The project will be completed in a year, starting this October and finishing in September 2005. It involves a total budget of euro296,906, of which 49.14 per cent shall be funded by the European Commission.

Mr Bonnici said that during the first phase of the project the "formulation of suitable documentation techniques" will take place and is expected to take three months. The vast experience acquired in this field by the University of Urbino will be utilised, with the help of the experts in both Malta and Spain. The second phase will analyse and interpret the data from both sites and should take about four months. During the eighth and ninth months workshops for the experts will be held in Italy, Spain and Malta. The final phase will be dedicated to a travelling exhibition which will be hosted by the participating countries.

The technology which will be used in the project was developed by a team of experts from the University of Urbino. It will consist of aerial and ground surveys using the latest techniques including photogrammetry and laser scanning. The data from the cart-ruts in the Maltese landscape will be documented and correlated with the results of the data collected from the site in Spain. The scientific data will be used as a basis for a study of those features which have puzzled experts for centuries.