ABSTRACT
The excavations conducted at Hal Millieri in 1977 may acquire a significance for Maltese historiography extending beyond the archaeological objectives proposed and the limited historical information gained. The evidence concerning the main burial in the Visitation church, where the central trench was in a disturbed area and excavation was limited, permits of varying interpretations. At Hal Millieri, the lower Annunciation church lacked the side benches found in the upper church, while the Visitation church had some such benches which may or may not have run the whole length of the building. The population of the casale stood at around fifty between 1650 and 1680, but dropped rapidly thereafter. The paintings once in the lower church at Hal Millieri might perhaps have been similar to some of the frescoes in the crypt of San Marziano at Siracusa which are datable between the twelfth and fourteenth century.
