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Sir Themistocles "Temi" Zammit (or Å»ammit; 30 September 1864 – 2 November 1935) was a
Maltese Maltese may refer to: * Someone or something of, from, or related to Malta * Maltese alphabet * Maltese cuisine * Maltese culture * Maltese language, the Semitic language spoken by Maltese people * Maltese people, people from Malta or of Malte ...
archaeologist and historian, professor of chemistry, medical doctor, researcher and writer. He served as Rector (1920–26) of the Royal University of Malta and first Director of the National Museum of Archaeology in his native city, Valletta.


Career

After graduating in medicine from the University of Malta, Zammit specialised in bacteriology in London and Paris. It's understood that in 1905 the discovery of contaminated milk as the vector for transmission to humans of '' Brucellosis melitensis'' present in the blood of the goat greatly contributed to the elimination from the islands of undulant fever, earning him the knighthood. However, it was Giuseppe Caruana Scicluna (1853-1921), the first Maltese analyst and bacteriologist trained at the world renowned Pasteur Institute in Paris who carried out most, if not all, of the bacteriological work. Author of several literary works in the Maltese language, Zammit was conferred the DLitt Honoris Causa by Oxford University. He was
knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...
in
1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be ...
, having previously been admitted as a Companion to the
Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George IV, George IV, Prince of Wales, while he was acting as prince regent for his father, George III, King George III. ...
. He also published a history of the Maltese islands and excavated important archaeological sites, such as the Hypogeum and the megalithic Tarxien Temples, Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra, which have since been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites.


Legacy

Zammit's scientific approach to archaeology further enhanced his international reputation. A permanent display of some of his findings may be viewed at the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta. The main hall of the University of Malta bears Zammit's name. The Sir Temi Zammit Hall is a multipurpose auditorium which is used as a lecture hall, theatre, and student graduations venue. Zammit is depicted on two commemorative Maltese coins: a Maltese 1 Pound (Lm1) coin dated 1973 and a Maltese 5 Pounds (Lm5) coin dated 2006. Both coins are silver and depict his likeness alongside his dates of birth and death. Zammit signed most of his works with his initials T. Z.


Further reading


Sir Themistocles (Temi) Zammit
* * Roger Ellul-Micallef, ''Zammit of Malta. His Times, Life and Achievements'', 2 volumes, Valletta: Allied Publications, 2013.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Zammit, Themistocles 1864 births 1935 deaths Maltese archaeologists Knights Bachelor Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George Maltese historians Maltese physicians Maltese knights People from Valletta University of Malta academic personnel 19th-century archaeologists 19th-century historians 20th-century archaeologists 20th-century historians Maltese curators University of Malta alumni English-language writers from Malta