Għar ix-Xiħ

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Għar ix-Xiħ (English: Cave of the Old Man or Cave of the Sheikh or The headman's abode [1] ) is a former cave in Xewkija, facing Mġarr ix-Xini, Gozo, Malta. It was inhabited since the 2nd-century B.C. and was re-discovered in 2009. [2] The cave is situated at the mouth of the valley.

English language West Germanic language

English is a West Germanic language that was first spoken in early medieval England and eventually became a global lingua franca. It is named after the Angles, one of the Germanic tribes that migrated to the area of Great Britain that later took their name, as England. Both names derive from Anglia, a peninsula in the Baltic Sea. The language is closely related to Frisian and Low Saxon, and its vocabulary has been significantly influenced by other Germanic languages, particularly Norse, and to a greater extent by Latin and French.

Cave Natural underground space large enough for a human to enter

A cave or cavern is a natural void in the ground, specifically a space large enough for a human to enter. Caves often form by the weathering of rock and often extend deep underground. The word cave can also refer to much smaller openings such as sea caves, rock shelters, and grottos, though strictly speaking a cave is exogene, meaning it is deeper than its opening is wide, and a rock shelter is endogene.

Xewkija Local council in Gozo Region, Malta

Xewkija is a village on Gozo Island, Malta. The population of Xewkija is 3,300 as of March 2014, which is the fourth largest in Gozo, after Victoria (6,901), Xagħra (4,886) and Nadur (4,509).

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The cave was long believed a legend, going back to 1583, about a popular judge who used the cave. Another nearby cave is known as il-Ħabs (The Prison).

The cave floor contained artifacts dating from Bronze Age to late Roman times. At some point the roof was removed.

Further reading

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References

  1. Bezzina, Joseph (2004). "8 The tribunal of Għar ix-Xiħ". Xewkija THE FIRST VILLAGE OF GOZO (1st ed.). Qala Malta: A+M Printing. p. 47. ISBN   978-99909-57-23-5.
  2. Grima, Noel (8 February 2009). "Centuries old legend in Gozo proved true". The Malta Independent. Archived from the original on 12 February 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2010.

Coordinates: 36°1′21″N14°16′9″E / 36.02250°N 14.26917°E / 36.02250; 14.26917

Geographic coordinate system Coordinate system

A geographic coordinate system is a coordinate system that enables every location on Earth to be specified by a set of numbers, letters or symbols. The coordinates are often chosen such that one of the numbers represents a vertical position and two or three of the numbers represent a horizontal position; alternatively, a geographic position may be expressed in a combined three-dimensional Cartesian vector. A common choice of coordinates is latitude, longitude and elevation. To specify a location on a plane requires a map projection.