E-RIHS is the European Research Infrastructure for heritage science which was set up to support research on heritage interpretation, documentation, preservation and management. Malta is a founding member and includes in its National Node diverse departments from the University of Malta.
The local Node is led by the Ministry for the National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government, with local heritage entities also participating; these include the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage, the Restoration and Preservation Directorate, Heritage Malta, the National Archives, the National Library, St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation and the Archdiocese of Malta.
The National Node Co-ordinator is Prof. JoAnn Cassar from the Department of Conservation and Built Heritage of the University of Malta.
Heritage Science, which is at the heart of E-RIHS, is by its very nature cross-disciplinary and encompasses knowledge obtained from studies on the humanities, sciences, and engineering disciplines. E-RIHS’s core activities encompass a spectrum of endeavours aimed at advancing heritage science. These include securing state-of-the-art, open access to cutting-edge infrastructure and expertise in heritage domains, developing common practices and protocols, fostering multidisciplinary collaboration, and ensuring the training of the next generation of heritage scientists. As part of their commitment, partners aim to provide a range of services, supported by high-level scientists and other heritage professionals, and make use of a catalogue of services available to researchers on the E-RIHS online portal.
Within the framework of E-RIHS.eu, Malta’s national node - E-RIHS.mt recently organised a week-long Pilot Training School on “Understanding the past through fragments – archival and scientific methods” for local stakeholders participating in the National Node. The aims of the Training School were twofold: to provide a concrete way for all the local heritage entities, with the University, to come together and collaborate on themes of common interest, and to also trial a way forward where the local heritage entities would again come together to organise future training schools even at an international level.
Focused on archival and archaeometric research and analysis, the Pilot Training School’s main case study was focused on the recent conservation and restoration project of the Church of the Madonna tal-Ħniena (Qrendi), undertaken by the Restoration and Preservation Department of the Ministry for the National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government, together with the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage and support from Heritage Malta.
Participants, drawn from local partners, enjoyed several consecutive days of interacting on a professional level, with theoretical lectures being held in the mornings and practical sessions in the afternoons. Teamwork was essential to the success of the Training School – something which was greatly appreciated by the participants. Observers from the E-RIHS.mt Steering Committee, present throughout the week, will help evaluate the success of the Training School by providing feedback.
The participants were welcomed on the first day by the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government and the Superintendent for Cultural Heritage. Dr Vania Virgili (E-RIHS Interim Director General) and Mim Andrews (who forms part of the E-RIHS Training Strategy sub-group) also attended and gave valuable contributions to the Training School.
The successful conclusion of the Pilot Training School marks a significant step towards enhancing Heritage Science, its dissemination and also education at a multi-disciplinary level, and fostering collaboration within the local and international heritage community.
As E-RIHS continues to evolve, initiatives like these demonstrate its commitment to advancing research and preservation efforts for cultural and natural heritage assets, and its investment in high-level training and cooperation of heritage professionals.