Catacombs and Castles in Mdina

Today the team was finally completed as Professor Wood flew in to Malta and joined us. Professor Clark will be flying back to California in a few days and from then Professor Wood will oversee most of our deployments and data analysis.

Today the team explored Mdina, an important cultural site in Malta. The site of ruins from Phoenician times to Medieval times, it is one of the greatest examples of the depth of Malta's history and how many different great civilizations have rubbed shoulders on this small island in the middle of the Mediterranean. The city was founded by the Phoenicians in the 8th century B.C. and has since been occupied by the Romans, Arabs and the Order of St. John, a medieval order of knights, serving as the fortified capital of the island until the capital was eventually moved by the order in 1530. It has since declined in usage, but has remained as an impressive fortification visible from much of the island, due to its elevated location.

The team arriving in Mdina

The first location visited by the team were the catacombs. These seem to have been used from Roman times until Medieval times, with both Christian, Roman, and Jewish people being entombed in their depths. These catacombs have served many purposes differing from their original purpose across the years, from oratories and chapels for Christians to air raid shelters during WWII.

                   The catacomb's narrow confines         small plant life growing in             A hallway in the catacombs                                                                                                              the catacombs   

                        A stone with an engraving marking      Another engraved stone            Sam struggles with the confines  
                        occupation of the entombed                                                                           of the catacomb

After the exploring the catacombs, the team stopped for a quick lunch and then explored the walls of the castle along with the moat. Since the castle is elevated and has high walls, the views are absolutely spectacular

The weather was particularly beautiful as well, with a fairly strong wind that allowed for far greater visibility than usual. Malta is often quite humid, and that creates a strong haze that brings the visibility down to a several kilometers. The team had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed the sites

A good personality pic for the team 

A quick panorama of the view from the castle

A beautiful group photo courtesy of Professor Wood's phone