Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE ARC5004

 
TITLE Manifestations of Maritime Culture: Objects, Voices and Landscapes

 
UM LEVEL 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course

 
MQF LEVEL 7

 
ECTS CREDITS 10

 
DEPARTMENT Classics and Archaeology

 
DESCRIPTION The collective memory of seafarers, fishermen and others employed in maritime services forms an essential part of a people whose lives have been greatly influenced by the sea. Such memories and experiences manifest themselves in a variety of ways including storytelling, popular superstitions, iconography and other traditions such as the making of fish traps. This course will not just stimulate an awareness of these various factors but will also cover aspects such as how to study and preserve them for future generations.

Study-unit Aims:

- To introduce students to the sea's contribution to social and cultural processes;
- To provide a framework within which the student can explore the synergy between human creativity and the sea;
- To present students with the multi-faceted aspects related to maritime cultures.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding:
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- develop an interpretive understanding of the creation, functionality and evolving perceptions/meanings of rituals, objects, images and buildings related to the sea;
- acquire a detailed insight into the plethora of elements (both natural and human-made) that inspired the creation of rituals, objects, images and buildings related to the sea;
- to distinguish, choose, utilise (and if necessary modify) strategies and methodologies for the study of rituals, objects, images and buildings related to the sea;
- to critically read and analyse iconographic evidence, ethnographic sources alongside archaeological and historical material.

2. Skills:
By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- choose and modify the right methodologies for research projects;
- conduct verbal interviews related to ethnographic studies;
- to correlate data from a variety of sources and combine these in a cohesive and practical manner;
- to present data from a variety of sources to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

- Arenson, S. (1991) The Encircled Sea: The Mediterranean Maritime Civilization (Carolina).
- Baker, S. (2010) Written in Water: British Romanticism and the Maritime Empire of Culture (University of Virginia Press). (PR590 .B24).
- Bentley, J.H., Bridenthal, R., and Wigen, K. (2007) Seascapes: maritime histories, littoral cultures and transoceanic exchanges (University of Hawaii Press).
- Brebbia, C. and Gambin, T. (eds.) (2003) Maritime Heritage 2003 (Southampton: WIT Press).
- Cunliffe, B. (2001) Facing the Ocean The Atlantic and its Peoples (Oxford: Oxford University Press). (CB203.C88)
- *Horden, P. & Purcell, N. (2000) The Corrupting Sea: A Study of Mediterranean History (Oxford: Blackwell Publishers). (DE59 .H66)
- Hunter, J. (1994) Maritime Culture: notes from the land International Journal of Nautical Archaeology 23.24: 261-264.
- Mack, J. (2011) The Sea: a cultural history (Reaktion).
- *Parker, A.J. (2001) Maritime Landscapes Landscapes 1: 22-41.
- Prins, A.H.J. (1989) In Peril on the Sea: Marine Votive Paintings in the Maltese Islands (Malta: Said International). (ND1432.M37 P7)
- Smyth, W.H. (1854) The Mediterranean: A Memoir, Physical, Historical and Nautical (London: Admiralty Office). (MZZ)
- Stefano, L., Davis, P., and Corsane, G. (eds) (2012) Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage (Boyell Press).
- *Westerdahl, C. (1992) The maritime cultural landscape International Journal of Nautical Archaeology 21: 5-14.

Publications marked * signify main readings.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture, Fieldwork and Seminar

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Presentation (30 Minutes) SEM2 No 25%
Project SEM2 Yes 25%
Report SEM2 Yes 50%

 
LECTURER/S Jan Bill
Joseph Brincat
Keith Buhagiar
Emanuel Buttigieg
Joseph Caruana
Timothy Gambin
Liam Gauci
Reuben Grima
Stephen Spiteri
Nicholas Vella

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit