Sacrificio, spazi e pratiche rituali nel santuario di Tas-Silg (Malta) in età tardo-repubblicana

The building renovation carried out in the sanctuary of Tas-Silg in Malta during the late Republican period led to a requalification of the spaces in the place of worship, resulting in significant changes even in the ritual connected to the sacrifices in the central area in front of the temple, where the structures do not seem to indicate the practice of bloody sacrifices. The new spaces erected on the northern area include the presence of a building that can be interpreted as hestiatorion. The study of the ceramic assemblages recovered in the discharge levels in the northern area of the sanctuary revealed the presence of a large number of vessels for serving and consuming food, together with a lower percentage of cooking pots. The chemical analysis of organic residues in ceramics have contributed to characterize the origin of the foodstuffs for ritual meals and offerings, in particular fish, meat and honey.