The character of a wall : the changing construction of agricultural walls on the island of Gozo

Abstract

The current paper describes the changing construction of agricultural walls on the island of Gozo, part of the Maltese islands in the Mediterranean Sea. The described changes represent physical artifactual evidence of the changing culture of a nation that gained its independence only forty years ago yet maintains a history over five thousand years old. In this regard, the analysis provides an ethnoarchaeological portrayal of a wall and its construction; the form of the wall displays its character throughout its life yet is the product of the times at the event of its construction. The wall therefore displays the culture held at that event and a comparison of different walls will show a sequence of cultural change. In Gozo, hundreds of years of dry rubble wall construction terraced the island into viable farmlands. However, changing farming and economical practices have changed the value of old walls and supported the construction of a new wall design using cut limestone blocks cemented together. This paper attempts to describe these changes, their causes, their eventual effects, and the role of tourism in the preservation of history.