https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/6021 Tue, 11 Aug 2026 07:36:33 GMT 2026-08-11T07:36:33Z 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. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148422 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.) Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148119 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/146156 Title: High-resolution 3D digitization and analysis of the Mesolithic site of Latnija (Malta) Authors: Tanasi, Davide; Fawbush, Alex; Kingsland, Kaitlyn; Calderone, Dario; Scerri, Eleanor; Vella, Nicholas C.; Groucutt, Huw S. Abstract: This paper presents the high-resolution 3D digitization of the Mesolithic archaeological site of Latnija (Għar Tuta), located in a doline in northern Malta. The study employed terrestrial laser scanning using the Faro Focus s150 scanner to generate a precise digital representation of the site's complex geological and archaeological context. The resulting point cloud data, meticulously processed in Faro Scene, was optimized, filtered, and transformed into a detailed 3D mesh model. Despite challenges such as geological instability and limited scan overlap, the digitized model achieved high accuracy and visual continuity. Furthermore, the model serves as a crucial tool for preserving this fragile archaeological context against ongoing environmental threats, enabling detailed spatial analyses, and facilitating public engagement. This research highlights the effectiveness and critical importance of integrating advanced digital methodologies into archaeological practice, ensuring long-term preservation and enhanced accessibility of significant prehistoric sites. Wed, 01 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/146156 2025-10-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/146150 Title: Revolution, modernity, and the dispersal of Homo sapiens beyond Africa Authors: Groucutt, Huw S. Abstract: In the recent past, evolutionarily speaking, every other kind of hominin, from the Neanderthals of western Eurasia to the ‘hobbits’ of Flores, became extinct while our species prospered and spread across the world, from remote islands to high mountains. Understanding how, why, and when this global spread of Homo sapiens occurred is a major question in human evolutionary studies. While there is broad agreement on our African origin and subsequent global expansion, currently fossil, genetic, and archaeological data and perspectives on the details of this process are, if not actively contradictory, then certainly uncomfortable bedfellows. In part, this uncertainty reflects the profound spatial and temporal biases in currently available archaeological, fossil, and genetic samples. However, there are also methodological and theoretical aspects which limit understanding. Two central examples, reviewed in this paper, are the challenges of accurately dating palaeoanthropological sites and the continuing influence of the outdated concept of a ‘Human Revolution’ and the related concept of ‘modernity’, in both cultural and biological forms. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/146150 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z