Antiquity Studies

The Sanctuary of Astarte at Ras il-Wardija in Gozo (Malta) Between Carthage and Rome

Cults, Rituals, and Religious Entanglements of a Mediterranean Sanctuary (Fourth Century BC-Second Century AD)

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Abstract

The Ras il-Wardija sanctuary (fourth century BC-second century AD) in Gozo was a key Punic-Roman site dedicated to Astarte, protecting seafarers and linked to Gozo’s agricultural economy. Excavations by Sapienza University of Rome, in collaboration with Superintendence CH and Heritage Malta since 2021, have revealed pottery fragments inscribed with Astarte’s name. These resemble those from Tas-Silġ, Malta’s main Punic sanctuary, suggesting an unprecedented link between the two sites. This discovery sheds light on religious rituals, including Anagógia and Katagógia festivals.


Open access | Peer reviewed

Submitted: April 4, 2025 | Accepted: April 22, 2025 | Published Sept. 24, 2025 | Language: en

Keywords Religion • Temples • Inscriptions • Phoenicians • Astarte

Copyright © 2025 Federica Spagnoli, Giuliana Bonanno, Tecla Zucchi. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/978-88-6969-931-3/011


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