A prehistoric cemetery dating back around 6,000 years has been uncovered in Xagħra, Gozo, in what authorities are describing as one of the most significant discoveries linked to the earliest stage of Malta’s Temple Period.The Planning Authority has now issued an Emergency Conservation Order (ECO) covering the site in Triq il-Ġdida, Pjazza Sant’ Anton, following a request by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage (SCH).Archaeological investigations at the site uncovered human remains, prehistoric pottery and intact pottery vessels dating to the Żebbuġ Phase, between approximately 4100 and 3800 BC.Evidence uncovered so far points towards a prehistoric cemetery containing at least eight tombs.The Żebbuġ Phase represents the earliest stage of Malta’s Temple Period and actually predates the construction of the Maltese Islands’ famous megalithic temples.Evidence from this period is relatively rare, making the Xagħra discovery particularly important for archaeologists attempting to understand Malta’s earliest prehistoric communities and how they buried their dead.According to the SCH, the discovery could offer an exceptional opportunity to learn more about these communities and their burial practices, with the intact archaeological deposits giving the site considerable potential for further research.For now, authorities are making sure nothing happens to the site while they figure out exactly what has been found.The Planning Authority issued the emergency order under Article 58 of the Development Planning Act, effectively identifying the location as “heritage at risk” while further assessments take place.The site will receive protection equivalent to a Class A scheduled property, meaning excavation, development or other interventions cannot take place unless specifically authorised by the Planning Authority in consultation with the SCH.The area was already considered highly archaeologically sensitive and forms part of a protected archaeological landscape.The Emergency Conservation Order will remain in force for 12 months from its publication in the Government Gazette, giving authorities time to carry out further studies and determine how the site should be protected in the long term.And with remains stretching back some six millennia sitting beneath Xagħra, those studies could reveal plenty more about life, and death, in prehistoric Malta.What do you make of this?•