It is no secret that Malta and Gozo, islands rich with paleontological heritage, are facing distressing trends of rampant, often unchecked, development. Such poorly planned construction not only destroys vital wildlife habitats, beautiful Maltese vernacular architecture and invaluable archaeological remains, but also threatens millions-of-years-old fossils. Recent roadwork expansion on Triq Ta’ Viani/Triq Ġorġ Pisani in Rabat, Gozo (tied to the controversial Triq Marsalforn road-widening project), has cut into a Miocene era geological layer, dated around 16 to 13 million years ago.
I first observed this destruction from my balcony late last week. Worried about the possibility that some archaeological remains were being destroyed (the site is very near Roman quarries), I decided to investigate. As I walked among the scattered rocks, I found not one but two Carcharocles megalodon teeth (verified by the Natural History Museum of Gozo).
One was literally right below the wheel of the bulldozer. I also found scores of other fossil-containing rocks amid the rubble. In terms of archaeology, there were two small man-made caves cut into the limestone that could very well be centuries old.
Shockingly, there were no signs of site-monitoring, despite this area’s archaeological and paleontological significance. After discovering these remains, I spent five hours on the phone and computer in a soul-destroying and mind-numbing bureaucratic labyrinth. In an effort to halt the works, I.