https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/8103 Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:02:20 GMT 2026-07-07T00:02:20Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147776 Title: The prehistoric islandscape Authors: Grima, Reuben Abstract: The story of discovery, exploitation and settlement of small islands by humans is impossible to separate from that of the exploration, and to some extent the mastery, of the seas around them. The group of islands that form Malta was no exception. By the time the first known Neolithic inhabitants were settled in Malta, sometime around 5,000 BC, rising sea-levels had already given the Maltese archipelago a configuration not very different from the one we know today. Over the preceding 10,000 years or so, progressive warming and the consequent melting of the ice-caps had resulted in dramatic rises in sea-level, which flooded vast areas between Malta and Sicily, widening the channel between the two to almost the width we are familiar with today. Although no firm evidence has yet been found of human presence on Malta during this earlier period, it is well-attested in Sicily, and the possibility that communities that hunted, gathered, fished and foraged reached Malta during this time of rapid sea-level change remains a plausible one. Here the story is taken up from shortly before 5,000 BC, with the first firm evidence of human settlement of the Maltese islands. [extract] Sat, 01 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147776 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147558 Title: Hidden narratives : the role of archival exploration in decoding Liu Kang’s painting practice Authors: Lizun, Damian Abstract: This article examines the critical role of archival exploration in decoding the painting practice of a modern Singaporean artist Liu Kang (1911–2004). Given Liu Kang’s undocumented artistic process and the absence of preserved paint tubes or technical notes, the research methodology combined a wide range of primary and secondary archival records with previous analytical investigations of his paintings. By examining works from the National Gallery Singapore and the Liu family collections created between 1927 and 1999, the research deduced the brands and types of materials he used. Hence, this article highlights the crucial and complementary role of diverse archival sources in technical art research. Consequently, primary archival sources, such as interviews with the artist, studio photographs and a TV documentary, provided evidence of his tools and methods. These were cross‑referenced with secondary sources, including colourmen printed advertisements, trade directories and colourmen catalogues, which established the availability of art supplies in Shanghai, Paris, and Singapore throughout his career. Ultimately, these diverse archival sources enriched our understanding of Liu Kang’s painting practice. They connected the historical context of his artistic activities with the technical data, allowing the research to piece together narratives that might otherwise have remained obscured. Thu, 01 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147558 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/146878 Title: The chapel at Palazzo de la Salle and its painted decoration : findings from the 2016-2019 conservation project Authors: Porter, Jennifer; Pasian, Chiara; De Angelis, Roberta Abstract: This paper presents findings from the 2016–2019 conservation project of the domestic chapel inside Palazzo de La Salle, Valletta, carried out by the Department of Conservation and Built Heritage at the University of Malta. The project stabilized and analyzed two previously known oil-on-stone decorative schemes: the early-to-mid 17th-century Altar Surround and the Baroque Frieze (dated via newly discovered heraldry to 1731–1736). Conservation interventions also uncovered two entirely hidden painted elements: a decorated wooden ceiling cornice and a lower illusionistic architectural architectural dado program. Material analysis revealed advanced oil-on-stone technical execution alongside extensive pigment alteration over time (specifically smalt and arsenic sulphides), dramatically changing the original aesthetic reading of the room. Sun, 01 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/146878 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/146849 Title: Change and continuity : significance and physical history in the conservation of the 16th-century Great Siege wall paintings in Valletta, Malta Authors: Porter, Jennifer; Pasian, Chiara; Patterson, Teal; Ruiz, Naomi; Gorodetska, Mariia; Parisi, Stephanie Abstract: Knowledge of the physical history of the Great Siege wall paintings (1576–81) by Matteo Perez D'Aleccio in the Grand Master's Palace in Valletta, Malta, has been fundamental in understanding their current condition and the continuity between their original function and current significance. It has also directly influenced the conservation approach employed by the Department of Conservation and Built Heritage, University of Malta. Diverse bodies of evidence—including archival photographs, physical evidence of past interventions and damage, and noninvasive methods such as multispectral imaging (MSI) and in situ microscopy—were synthesized to build a cohesive narrative and inform conservation strategies. This study demonstrates how the conservation and presentation of artworks can influence their perception and interpretation, and in turn their continuing relevance to the society within which they function. Sun, 01 Jan 2023 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/146849 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z