https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/122944 2026-04-11T14:25:09Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/123113 Title: A forgotten Roman marble base in the National Museum of Archaeology Authors: Wilson, Roger J. A. Abstract: A badly damaged Roman marble base now in Valletta, Malta, was first published in 1647 and then in 1787. It has been neglected since, mainly because there have been doubts about whether or not it is a genuine antiquity. This study argues for its authenticity, and contextualizes the relief sculpture that decorates three of its sides. The front carries a depiction of Sicilia, the personification of the Roman province of Sicily to which the Maltese Islands belonged. The image is set in context within the small group of known personifications of Sicilia elsewhere. Identical side panels each show a man with what is interpreted here as a turtle balanced on his knee, an apparently unique depiction of these creatures in Roman sculpture. It is suggested that turtles, now scarce in the Mediterranean, were once plentiful in the waters off both Malta and Sicily. In a secondary period, perhaps in the late eighteenth century, the base was badly mutilated during its conversion for use as a fountain. Whether it ever functioned as such is uncertain. 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/123112 Title: Review articles and reviews Authors: Groucutt, Huw S. Abstract: These volumes represent the culmination of many years’ work by Andrea Pessina and Nicholas Vella. The first volume (508 pages) consists of a series of contributions which, as the authors (2021a, 1) summarise, “examines the relationship between archaeology and its sociopolitical milieu in the inter-war period in Malta and Italy from a historical perspective”. It does this in particular through an evaluation of the work of Italian archaeologist Luigi Ugolini (1895-1936). Then there are the three Malta Antica volumes (totalling 934 pages) which represent compilations of Ugolini’s unpublished works, which have been brought together by Pessina and Vella and are published along with many photographs (most by Ugolini) and helpful introductions and footnotes. Following on from his 1934 book, Malta, origini della civiltà mediterranea, Ugolini had sketched out plans for the publication of five follow-on books, which would add scholarly detail to support his bold claims. His early death prevented this. 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/123018 Title: Maltese chert : an archaeological perspective on raw material and lithic technology in the central Mediterranean Authors: Groucutt, Huw S. Abstract: The Maltese Islands in the central Mediterranean are renowned for their prehistoric archaeological record, particularly the megalithic ‘temples’ and associated ceramics and artwork. The temples were built by a society lacking metal technology, who relied on stone and organic materials. Knapped stone tool (lithic) technology, to produce sharp edged tools for tasks like cutting, hide working, and wood shaping offers insights into human behaviour in Malta, as well as into themes of exchange and connectivity. As well as imported chert and obsidian, local chert was widely used to make stone tools in prehistoric Malta. The local chert has generally been described as low-quality, yet relatively little research has been conducted on its distribution, characteristics, and use. In this paper I report a survey of chert sources, identifying a wider distribution of chert outcrops along the west coast of Malta than previously discussed. Some general macroscopic properties are outlined, as well as aspects of variability in the chert sources. Knapping experiments were then conducted on samples of chert collected, allowing clarification of its characteristics. These observations are used to offer some insights into lithic technology in Neolithic and Temple Period Malta, such as the hypothesis that the high frequencies of multidirectional flake production and subsequent ‘scraper retouch’ reflect adaptations to the characteristics of local chert. 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/123017 Title: Society Activities 2021-2023 Abstract: Society Activities 2021-2023 2024-01-01T00:00:00Z