The Salesians of Don Bosco and Heritage Malta are publishing a limited facsimile edition of Fr. Emmanuel Magri’s, Ruins of a Megalithic Temple at Xeuchia, First Report.

The book which is edited by Fr Charles Cini SDB, with photography and design by Daniel Cilia and a historical introduction and notes by Josef Mario Briffa SJ is part of the initiative to produce cultural publications of general interest about Malta’s heritage and culture.

The report was originally published in 1906. It describes the excavations undertaken and directed by Fr. Magri at a megalithic temple in Xewkija, Gozo, in October 1904.

Fr. Magri, better known for his collection of folktales and folklore, was also an archaeologist and the first director of the excavation at the Hypogeum. This report bears witness to Fr. Magri’s scholarship, his use of local traditions and his pioneering work on the study and classification of potsherds.

This edition includes the original watercolour plates of the sherds which are being published in colour for the first time, after more than 100 years. Details of the watercolours and photos of the actual sherds are included for comparison. The publication is further enriched with archival material related to the same excavation.

Heritage Malta and the Salesians are planning other similar initiatives for the near future. A reproduction of the fresco of the Great Siege Map (1581-82) by Egnazio Danti found in the Galleria Vaticana delle Carte Geografiche was published in 2008.

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