An archaeological approach to the study of the 'mnieżel' structures

Abstract

This research proposes an archaeological methodology to study the mnieżel following the general principles of standing archaeology. The theory of standing archaeology applied proposes that structural elements and structural evolution of a structure can be analysed by previous research on the subject, field survey, measurements obtained on-site, and photogrammetry. The study is based on four case studies: Il- Minżel ta’ Miġra l-Ferħa (Rabat, Malta), Il-Minżel tal-Triq Tal-Franċiż (Swieqi, Malta), Għar il-Kbir (Siġġiewi, Malta), and Latnija Cave (Mellieħa, Malta). The research focuses on topics related to the sites, such as historical accounts, geology, the landscape, and maps from the last 50 years. The methods used are a measure-tape, an iPhone, a mobile phone application named Protractor 360º, and the photogrammetry software Agisoft. These methods were used to obtain the structural dimensions, dimensions of the stairs, the inclination of the ramp, and the elevation of the site. The results obtained from the sites show that all those mentioned above can be effective if they meet certain circumstances. The field survey is better when accompanied by a survey of historical maps. The measurements can stand on their own but are used to improve the results of the 3D model by correcting the measurements within the software. The methods helped obtain information about the dimensions and the possible functions. On the other hand, dating the sites was problematic. Sometimes, they have different phases of construction and the dates proposed are primarily based on architectonical features and historical maps/accounts.