Revisiting David Trump’s Skorba excavations

The Mġarr Local Council has launched a revisit of the Skorba studies by renowned archaeologist, Dr David H. Trump which was originally published 50 years ago.

The book, entitled ‘Skorba 1961-63 Excavations: A revisit to the report and site after 50 years’ was officially launched earlier this month at the Mġarr Local Council.

For the ceremony, Dr Trump, accompanied by Ms Trump, was presented with the first print of this book. In a speech soon after receiving the book, Dr Trump expressed his gratitude to all those who made this project a reality, especially the Mġarr Local Council for the support and belief in his work. He gave a brief outline about how he came to know about the remains at Skorba and how the excavations were conducted more than 50 years ago. He underlined how, even if he was involved in other prehistoric projects both before and after his Skorba excavations, the Skorba experience has remained the pinnacle of his career.

Mġarr Mayor Paul Vella thanked Dr Trump for his lifelong captivation with Mġarr and its ancient history. Mr Vella expressed the gratitude on behalf of the Mġarr community to Dr Trump, which resulted in the vestment of the ‘Ġieħ l-Imġarr’ to Dr Trump a couple of years ago. Mr Vella underlined the vision of the Council to make Dr Trump’s studies available to a wider spectrum of scholars, students, and all those who have the locality of l-Imġarr at heart. Mr Vella outlined how the Council supported the idea of this re-publishing on the 50th anniversary since their original publication so as to conserve part of its historical heritage.

Other short yet very interesting speeches where delivered by Mr Mario Vassallo, who dwelt on the myths and legends that surrounded the preexcavations remains at Skorba among the local population, Dr Rueben Grima from the University of Malta who outlined the importance of the excavations, studies and research held by Dr Trump at Skorba, and photographer Daniel Cilia who explained how the project became a reality.

Dr Trump and Maltese prehistory became intertwined in the 1950s and 1960s, first as part of the team of John Davies Evans in the excavations of Ġgantija and then, following his appointment as Curator of the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta, in his program of archaeological excavations which included the first excavations at Skorba. He pioneered the use of Carbon-14 dating in Malta and gave name to two new phases in Maltese prehistory referred to as Red Skorba and Grey Skorba. Dr Trump was conferred a Doctorate Honoris Causa in Literature this week from the University of Malta, for his extraordinary lifelong research and contribution to the history of Malta.

The book ‘Skorba 1961-63 Excavations: A revisit to the report and site after 50 years’ by Dr Trump, has been designed and photographed by Daniel Cilia. It is a hard-back 96 full-colour page production. More information about this publication an be obtained from the Local Council of Mġarr at 22, Triq Sir Harry Luke, Mġarr or contact via email on mgarr.lc@gov.mt or on the telephone lines 21520011 or 27520011