Tas-Silg, on the south-east coast of the island of Malta, is a major
multi-period site, with archaeological remains spanning four thousand
years. A megalithic temple complex built in the early third millennium
BC gave way to a Phoenician and Punic sanctuary dedicated to the goddess
Astarte. The sacred place underwent major transformations in Roman
times, becoming an international religious complex dedicated to the
goddess Juno. Located on the maritime routes plied by mariners and
traders, its fame did not escape the attention of the first-century BC
orator Cicero. Excavated as part of a major archaeological project in
the 1960s, the site of Tas-Silg lay abandoned for several decades. In
1996, the University of Malta renewed excavations at the site for ten
seasons, uncovering Neolithic and Late Bronze Age occupation levels, and
substantial deposits associated with ritual offerings of Punic date.
This volume is the second monograph of the final publication of the
excavations. It provides an account of the pottery and of the hundreds
of inscribed pottery sherds that were recovered during the excavations.
It forms a companion volume to the first monograph, which reports on the
history of the site and other finds.