Malta is home to many different villages but as many were created throughout time many were also lost.

One such village is Hal-Millieri. It once stood in an area between Zurrieq, Qrendi and Mqabba.

This aerial photo taken by Daniel Cilia shows where this village could once be located.

There’s no specific date as to when this village was created but remains from all the way back to the Punic area were excavated in the area.

What lead people to living in this village was its abundancy in natural resources.

In fact, as revealed by ‘8000 Years of Water’ it was built on top of an ancient aquifer. The village was also known as ‘Il-Menqa’, a word which refers to a place where water gathers.

“Research suggests this abundant water source has drawn people here since prehistory, with the first settlers around 1450 to 800 BC”, 8000 years of Water reveals.

The village was likely also inhibited during the roman period as olive mills were excavated in the area.

By the 16th century, many of the people that had been living in Hal-Millieri started moving away to the nearby villages that still exist today and the village soon became lost in time.