Video Preview

The Travel Detective

Voluntourism: Heritage Malta

Digging in a trench and sifting through dirt for hours a day is certainly not everyone’s idea of a vacation. But Samula Bissini has traveled to the island of Malta to volunteer her time to do just that.

She is helping the Heritage Malta organization excavate its historic site, where public baths from the Roman Empire stood thousands of years ago.
The romanticism of uncovering Roman Ruins and learning new skills attracts volunteers to this project. But once they arrive, it’s also a lot of hard work under a relentless Mediterranean sun.
If archaeology is your passion, archaeologists here are still accepting volunteers–no experience necessary–just a willingness to work and a lot of enthusiasm.
Volunteers with Heritage Malta can work at various sites throughout the island. On average, they stay for about three weeks. At St. Paul’s Catacombs, archaeologists try to interpret life by examining how the Romans buried their dead. This underground cemetery complex was in use until the 4th century AD and provides a much different classroom than the dig at the Roman baths.
It’s the actual “touching of history” that makes a Heritage Malta volunteer experience stand out. If this sounds like your cup of tea, the organization is always looking for volunteers. You just have to get yourself there and find a place to stay.