At the beginning of December 1999, the Grupp Arkeologiku Malti with the valuable assistance of the Qrendi Scout Group started the clearing of a Roman catacomb beneath the premises of the Wignacourt Museum at Rabat. The catacomb had its access near the stairs leading to a World War II shelter.

On clearing the accumulated rubble deposited from the excavation of a World War Shelter, two saddle Baldachino tombs, a window tomb and a loculus’s were found. An exedra with a funerary triclinium was also identified.

The original entrance of the catacomb led into one side of a rectangular space. The sides containing the opening to the “Baldachino tombs” and the funerary triclinium border the remaining sides of this space. Lamps placed in six lamp holes above the exedra provided the illumination of this area. It appears that the catacomb was looted from all antiquity. At a later date the catacomb received a soil infill from the original access.

The catacomb were originally discovered during the digging of the nearby WW11 shelter and served to contain the excavated rubble produced during these works. Several cubic tons of lose rubble was removed by hand by the scouts and carted away from the site.

Evidence of extensive plastering, finishing and size indicates that the Baldachino to the left of the entrance was the most important tomb in the complex. No inscriptions were noted in the catacomb and no pottery was observed inside the chambers. Fortunately enough, the tombs were very well preserved.

During the excavation works, His Excellency Archbishop Guzeppi Mercieca together with the Museum Curator Mgr. John Azzopardi visited the Qrendi Scouts, praising and personally thanking all members of the Qrendi Scout Group for their efforts and dedication.