It is said that a lot can be discerned from the way in which one treats one’s heritage – what is recognised as having value, how well one understands one’s past, and how well it is presented to future generations.
In a country which has seen historical sites more often than not on the losing side of development applications, resulting in either their over-shadowing or even destruction in favour of characterless blocks of flats, it was refreshing to report the finding of an untouched tomb likely dating back to the Punic era in Tarxien last week.
It emerged in the following days that this tomb, which was found complete with funerary urns and intact pottery, was part of a cluster of seven tombs – one of which even contained the remains of two adult skeletons.
The Superintendence for Cultural Heritage issued a statement saying that they will continue to investigate the tombs, and that – more importantly – they will ensure that the site is preserved and that they will embark on an information campaign on the site and its contents for the public.
Marcus Garvey, albeit a controversial figure, once rightly said that a people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.
Indeed, in our fast-paced world motivated by the desire for progress – a concept which, depending who you speak to, itself has different meanings – sometimes it serves us well to stop for a few minutes, look back, appreciate, and learn about our roots.
The importance of preserving our heritage cannot be underlined more. History isn’t simply for historians to write about in books, or for archaeologists to dig out of the ground – it is a living, breathing part of who we are as a people, and hence everything should be done to make our history as accessible to our people as possible.
It is good to note that several positive initiatives have been undertaken in recent years to further promote our history; the Heritage Malta passport for children, who can take any two adults with them to any Heritage Malta site, is one such initiative which is to be applauded.
However, the government should also seek to integrate the study of Maltese heritage into the everyday school curriculum more as well so that students have the opportunity to critically discuss historical topics – an opportunity that isn’t necessarily present in a museum.
As said already though – history is not confined to the museum walls and neither is it reserved to historical landmarks; it is all around us.
While decisions such as the one announced last Saturday to give Villa Frere in Pieta Grade 1 Protection are steps in the right direction, they pale in comparison to the damage being done in other parts of the island.
As Malta’s visual identity, for better or for worse, changes, effort must be made to preserve every village square and every neat row of townhouses as these are without doubt an indelible part of Malta's heritage. Their loss, is in turn a loss of our own history, and an opportunity lost for future generations to appreciate an older, simpler Malta and its Mediterranean roots.
Findings such as this most recent one in Tarxien only further prove that there is still more to discover, and indeed learn, about our past – and that we can never preserve our heritage enough.