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St. Paul’s Catacombs are some of the most prominent features of Malta’s paleochristian archaeology. The archaeological clearing of the site has revealed an extensive system of underground galleries and tombs dated from the fourth to the ninth centuries AD. The site was first fully investigated in 1894 by Dr. Antonio Annetto Caruana. It is now managed by Heritage Malta. Two catacombs are open to the public, but these are only a small part of the entire St. Paul's and St. Agatha’s complex. ==History== St. Paul’s catacombs are part of a large cemetery once located outside the walls of the ancient Greek city of Melite, now covered by the smaller Mdina and Rabat. It also comprises the catacombs of Saint Agatha, San Katald, St. Augustine and many others. The cemetery probably originated in the Phoenician-Punic period. Like in Roman tradition, Phoenician and Punic burials were located outside city walls.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title= Maltese Catacomb Complexes )〕 The many tombs discovered in areas outside the known line of the Roman city suggest that the city of Melite was close to equal size. The early tombs consisted of a deep rectangular shaft with one or two chambers dug from its sides. This type of burial was used well into the Roman occupation of the islands, but the chambers grew larger and more regular in shape over time. It is probable that this enlargement joined neighboring tombs and led to the creation of small catacombs, which became the norm by the fourth century AD. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「St. Paul's Catacombs」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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