https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/6022 2026-04-08T01:47:11Z 2026-04-08T01:47:11Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/144593 2026-03-04T13:51:43Z 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: The transformation of antiquities creating the historic monument in Malta between the sixteenth and the early twentieth century Abstract: This study examines the complex process through which antiquities in the Maltese Islands were transformed into historic monuments between the sixteenth century and the early twentieth century. While the empirical material is drawn from Malta, the discourse under analysis situates the Maltese experience within the broader European experience. The research explores the social, political, and cultural conditions that shaped the valorisation of antiquities and their metamorphosis into monuments, focusing on material culture valued as testimony to a historical past. Using object biographies, the study traces the afterlives of a selected range of typologically diverse antiquities – including sarcophagi, tomb stones, inscriptions, coin hoards, ancient statues, architectural pieces – from their moment of discovery through successive reinterpretations. The transformation of these objects was neither linear nor uniform: distinct historical periods, particularly the era of the Order of St John and the British colonial administration, carried their own specificities that must be understood within their respective socio-cultural contexts. Because such changes were often gradual and imperceptible, the study adopts a broad temporal perspective, enabling a more intelligible narrative of how and why certain ancient objects came to be valued and monumentalized, and others lost. Employing a Grounded Theory framework, the research identifies distinct behavioural patterns and human actions – from entextualisation, visual representation, collecting, and display to emotional responses to loss and misuse – that collectively illuminate the processes through which antiquities were reimagined as historic monuments. Description: Ph.D.(Melit.)

2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/142035 2025-12-09T11:00:19Z 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: The role of marine resources at Latnija (Malta) and the Mesolithic to Neolithic transition in the Central Mediterranean Abstract: Recent archaeological excavations at the Latnija cave site, led by the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology (Germany) and the Department of Classics and Archaeology at the University of Malta, have revealed a significant prehistoric sequence marked by the consumption of wild animals and marine resources in the earlier, Mesolithic phase and subsequently by agropastoral societies. This dissertation presents a comprehensive zooarchaeological and taphonomic analysis of the marine faunal remains, aiming to provide new insights into the lifeways and diets of Malta’s earliest inhabitants. The post-excavation processes of flotation and micro-sieving, uncovered minute and often overlooked marine remains. These techniques allowed for the reconstruction of a more detailed picture of this ancient subsistence economy by revealing evidence of fishing practices, species diversity, and the seasonal exploitation of marine resources. This study confirms that the marine faunal assemblage was the result of a cultural accumulation. The evidence indicates that the first Mesolithic colonisers of the Maltese islands were skilled anglers with a sound understanding of the local environment and ecology. Offshore fishing, possibly involving boats or canoes, cannot be ruled out. Evidence from other Central Mediterranean sites like Corsica, Sardinia, southern Italy, and Sicily, reveals a consistent exploitation of marine resources across the Mesolithic and Early Neolithic periods. At Latnija, marine species were exploited throughout all phases, with a similar marked intensification in fishing during the final Mesolithic, reflecting a cultural affinity towards the sea. Marine resources not only complemented the island's endemic wild fauna as part of a sustainable subsistence strategy, but also possibly served utilitarian, decorative, and functional purposes. The evidence supports the notion that the seascape of the Central Mediterranean functioned as a conduit for interaction and allows us to move beyond our understanding of the Maltese Neolithic and sheds light on the paleo-diets of the local pre-Temple Period. Description: M.A.(Melit.)

2024-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/140517 2025-10-23T09:51:57Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: From object detection to archaeological object detection developing a model for amphora identification of a Punic wreck site using object recognition AI Abstract: The last years have seen an increase in the use of object detection methodologies in land archaeology during surveys, the study of archaeological assemblages, reconstruction of archaeological materials, and taphonomic studies. The advances of these methods in maritime archaeology have been more limited. This study explores how AI object detection can help identify archaeological materials underwater. It aims to explain the issues that the underwater environment presents for automated detection, to bridge the knowledge gap that exists between the practical application of this computer vision technique to maritime archaeology, and to provide a practical example of its application on the underwater assemblage of Xlendi Archaeological Park, one with which to evaluate the possibilities that the use of such methodology presents for archaeological research. We trained, classified and named a total of seventy-two detection models based on three differentiating factors. The Progressive Complexity Index (PCI) divides them into groups based on their level of complexity and the amount of archaeological information embedded in their predictive process. The Parameter of Archaeological Identification (PAI) specifies the archaeological framework used during training to teach subjective information. Finally, the models are also different in the version and size of model they use. To fulfill the goals of this project, we used these differences to interpret the results of a series of comparatives tests made on data not seen by the algorithm during training, thus recreating a real-world situation in which to evaluate the technique. The result is the division of the models into three progressively complex groups: nature models, state models and typological models. Nature models focus on the assessment of underwater archaeological assemblages by the nature of the materials to be found in them, classifying them based on them being ceramic, litter, modern elements, or part of the natural background. On their best iterations, these achieved an average precision of identification of 87.8%. State models, on the other hand, focus on the state of preservation of those materials. Their best iteration’s average precision, while lower at 75.2%, still produced very usable models on a real-world scenario. Finally, typological models focus on ceramic materials based on their typology. Their best iteration, while not being field-ready with an average precision of 61.1%, offers a lot of potential for improvement. This dissertation has demonstrated how subjective archaeological information can be integrated into YOLO models to develop detection models tailored to specific archaeological questions. By analyzing and comparing these models, it has outlined the technique’s fundamental applications, limitations, and future potential for studying underwater archaeological assemblages. Description: M.A.(Melit.)

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/140515 2025-10-23T09:48:16Z 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: A faunal assemblage from a harbor, Salina Bay : animals in maritime foodways and zooarchaeological analysis from an underwater context in Malta Abstract: This dissertation investigates the integration of zooarchaeological analysis within underwater archaeology, focusing on the submerged harbor archaeological site of Salina Bay, Malta, dated primarily to Late Antiquity (250–750 CE). The study addresses the methodological challenges and interpretive potential of analyzing faunal remains from underwater contexts, an area often underrepresented in underwater archaeological research. By examining the faunal assemblage recovered during the 2019 archaeological campaigns, this research explores taxonomic diversity, butchery cut mark patterns, and diet involving animal meat and by-products. Additionally, it evaluates taphonomic processes—both anthropogenic and biogeochemical—that influence the preservation and state of faunal remains recovered from an underwater archaeological site. Primary data collection involved elemental and taxonomic category classification using comparative osteological collections. Further data collection included age estimation through epiphysial fusion, and tooth eruption and wear stages. Key findings reveal an assemblage (NSP = 145) dominated by domesticated genus groups such as Bos, Sus, and Ovicaprids. Examination of cut marks related to primary butchery practices, including the dismemberment at articulation joints and defleshing from bones. Taphonomic analysis highlighted the distinct preservation challenges posed by submerged environments, offering new perspectives on the site formation process observed in the Salina Bay archaeological site in an archaeofaunal assemblage marked by surface abrasion and fragmentation. This interdisciplinary study bridges gaps between zooarchaeology and underwater archaeology by demonstrating the value of faunal analyses in reconstructing human-animal interactions within maritime cultural landscapes. It underscores the importance of implementing standardized methodologies throughout the project plan design of an underwater archaeological campaign in order to contribute to zooarchaeological and taphonomic research. Description: M.A.(Melit.)

2025-01-01T00:00:00Z