https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/6021 2026-09-13T22:50:20Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148636 Title: Maritime memorialization : death at sea and the influence on coastal cults Abstract: During the Age of Sail (15th-20th century) seafarers faced the dangerous maritime environment. As a result of deaths at sea, communities adopted unique practices through ritualized and modified memorialization. Maritime memorial monuments were erected terrestrially to commemorate seafarers, both in the presence of physical remains and in absence. Coastal communities incorporated these monuments into their cultural framework and memorialization spaces acted as focal points for the onset of folklore, ritualistic practices, and cult formations. These beliefs often arose due to the dangers and challenges that faced seafarers, therefore affecting coastal communities. The introduction of the term ‘trigger events’ within the field of maritime archaeology examined how memorable moments of disaster or occurrences influence the collective memory of coastal communities. This research delves into the complex relationship between maritime related deaths, memorialization, and the subsequent emergence of cultic practices in coastal communities. It explores how maritime deaths influence cultural and ritualistic practices through the role monuments play in commemorating sailors. Anchored in the 19th-century case study of Thomas McSweeney, with a focus on the coastal community of the Three Cities of Malta: Birgu (Vittoriosa), Isla (Senglea), and Bormla (Cospicua). This research demonstrates how the burial of sailors in foreign lands catalyzes the formation of local traditions and cult practices. Description: M.A.(Melit.) 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148595 Title: Human interactions with tropical environments over the last 14,000 years at Iho Eleru, Nigeria Authors: Cerasoni, Jacopo Niccolo; Hallett, Emily Yuko; Orijemie, Emuobosa Akpo; Ashastina, Kseniia; Lucas, Mary; Farr, Lucy; Hohn, Alexa; Kiahtipes, Christopher A.; Blinkhorn, James; Roberts, Patrick; Manica, Andrea; Scerri, Eleanor M. L. Abstract: The Ihò Eléérú (or Iho Eleru) rock shelter, located in Southwest Nigeria, is the only site from which Pleistocene-age hominin fossils have been recovered in western Africa. Excavations at Iho Eleru revealed regular human occupations ranging from the Later Stone Age (LSA) to the present day. Here, we present chronometric, archaeobotanical, and paleoenvironmental findings, which include the taxonomic, taphonomic, and isotopic analyses of what is the only Pleistocene faunal assemblage documented in western Africa. Our results indicate that the local landscape surrounding Iho Eleru, although situated within a regional open-canopy biome, was forested throughout the past human occupation of the site. At a regional scale, a shift from forest- to savanna-dominated ecotonal environment occurred during a mid-Holocene warm event 6,000 years ago, with a subsequent modern reforestation of the landscape. Locally, no environmental shift was observable, placing Iho Eleru in a persistent forested “island” during the period of occupation. 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148422 Title: Through the eyes of wanderers : the contribution of travel literature to the study of ancient Cypriot harbours Authors: Gatt, Judith; Stivarou, Varvara Abstract: This article explores the contribution of travel literature to the diachronic study of ancient Cypriot harbours (Classical-Late Roman period), highlighting its potential to complement archival, archaeological and geoarchaeological research. While often regarded as unreliable due to exaggerations and biases, travel accounts provide valuable insights into harbour landscapes. By analysing references from the 13th to the 19th centuries, this study categorizes relevant observations into five themes: harbour identification, structural descriptions, construction techniques, accessibility, and environmental changes. Cross-referencing these accounts with archaeological data offers new perspectives on harbour evolution, demonstrating that travel literature remains an underutilized yet crucial resource in harbour archaeology.; Résumé. Cet article explore la contribution de la littérature de voyage à l'étude diachronique des ports antiques de Chypre (période classique-antiquité tardive), en mettant en évidence son potentiel à compléter les informations fournies par les archives, l'archéologie et la géoarchéologie. Bien que souvent considérés comme peu fiables en raison d'exagérations et de biais, les récits de voyage fournissent des informations précieuses sur le paysage portuaire. En analysant des références datant du xIIr au siècle, cette étude classe les observations pertinentes en cinq thèmes : identification des ports, descriptions structurelles, techniques de construction, accessibilité et changements environnementaux. Le recoupement de ces témoignages avec les données archéologiques offre de nouvelles perspectives sur l'évolution des ports, démontrant que la littérature de voyage reste une ressource sous-exploitée mais essentielle pour l'archéologie portuaire. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148119 Title: Experimental study of the charcoal taphonomy of Pistacia lentiscus (Mastic tree) Abstract: Wood charcoal is one of the most abundant botanicals which are uncovered during excavations globally. Their potential research value is wide, with a number of ways they can be studied. One such avenue of study is charcoal taphonomy, which seeks to understand how different phases of the chaîne opératoire of fuel and fire management alter the charcoal in ways which can be used to interpret back those steps. At the site of Latnija in Malta, the charcoal record is dominated by the Mediterranean shrub, Pistacia lentiscus, with profuse signs of taphonomic markers related to combustion and postdepositional processes. This thesis seeks to reconstruct the firing conditions which produce these markers, through the experimental burning of Pistacia lentiscus under conditions typical of Mesolithic hearths. This includes controlling for calibre, wood state, position in wood anatomy, firing temperature, firing atmosphere, cooling method, and number of firings. In total 300 controlled laboratory samples, 217 uncontrolled outdoor fired samples, and 10 archaeological samples were processed for this study. Laboratory samples were processed in groups of five, testing sixty different combinations of variables. Samples were photographed under a HIROX in their transverse section, and their alterations were classified, measured by height and area, and calculated for the number of cracks and percentage of area cracked in samples. The data generated did find meaningful ways to detect differences in firing temperature, firing atmosphere, cooling method, and relative position in wood anatomy. It showed further promise that discriminating between certain states and calibres may also be possible, but requires more testing. These differences proved true not just for laboratory samples, but also when applied to the uncontrolled and archaeological samples, showing utility for archaeological application. Description: M.A.(Melit.) 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z