Department of Museums
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175 External Sites Hagar Qim and Mnajdra Department of lnfrastructu ral works initiated during 200 I at th ese two Museums sites were completed in 2002, in cluding the installation of a new telephone line at Hagar Qim and the comple ti on of the new security fe nce around Mnajdra. The new fe nce has a much larger perimeter than the temporary fe nce erected in 1996 - a feature designed to improve the fence's visual impact on the monument. Mission Statement The old enclosure was removed as part of a general To ensure that present and .fi1ture generations are able to clean-up operati on around the site, including the derive cultural. educational and economic benefit ji-om removal of damaging vegetati on growth. The site of Malta's heritage Mnajdra was consequently re-opened to the public in March of2002. CULTURAL HERITAGE ACT 2002 Tas-S ilg, Borg ln-Nadur and Ghajn Tuffieha In July, Parli ament enacted new legislati on fo r the A radio link has been insta ll ed at these two sites in regul ation of the cultural heri tage sector. The Cultural order to keep staff on site in constant contact with other Heritage Act is replac in g the 1925 Ant iq ui ties Act, to sites and with the Poli ce. Electri city supply was in be repea led by January 2003 . The Museums Depart stalled at the Roman Baths ofGhajn Tuffieha. ment will cease to operate and will be superseded as fro m I January 2003 by th ree newly created public Archaeological Excavations entities - the Superinte ndence fo r Cultu ra l Heritage, Heritage Malta and the Committee of the Guarantee. Parisot Street, Xaghra - Investi gati on of three rock boun d cav ities di scovered during construction works sited close to Ggantija Archaeological Park. No trace ARCHAEOLOGY SECTION of ancient occupation was detected. ational Museum of Archaeology, Valletta Torri Fa!ka- A class ical rural site was detected on this site du ring the Museum 's rev iew of a hard-stone quarry Various structura l works were undertaken in view of appl ication in that area. The site included a heavy the projected re-opening to the publi c of the ga ll eri es scatter of Roman shards, ashlar blocks, and ancient n the Piano Nob il e. These works included re place quarry marks. ment of precarious roofs, constructi on of a liftshaft, constructi on and install ati on of a sub-stati on for elec Wied Moqbol - Two scatters of large stone blocks trica l supply. Im proved security was obtai ned th rough worked into agri cultural dry stonewa ll ing - were noted the insta ll ati on of a CCTV system on the ground fl oor, while reviewing a hard-stone quarry development we ll as an intercom system fo r the fro nt door. as appl icati on. The site appears to be Classical in date, al though earlier dating cannot be excluded with the Museum of Roman Antiquities, Rabat presently ava il able in fo nnation. Refurbishment of this Muse um was taken up, fo ll ow Birgu Creek and Waterfront - An investi gati on of the ing its temporary closure ea rly in 2002. Works in depos its lyi ng within the harbour bed was carried out cluded constructi on of new sanitary fac ilities and office as part of an Environmental Impact Assessment for the space, introducti on of a new electrica l install ati on, proposed constructi on of a yacht marina. The manual laying of a new marble fl oor in the upper ga llery, join excavation of a !-metre deep trench in the harbour silts ery works and install ation of a CCTY system. in March/April 2002 revealed extremely rich cultural Strata from the Late Middle Ages to the British Period. New, high-quali ty showcases were acquired for the galleri es on the Piano Nobi le of the Nati onal Museum Late in December 2002, trenching works along the of Archaeology and for the Museum of Roman Birgu Waterfi·ont fo r the layi ng of services started Antiqui ti es. revea ling traces of Birgu's histori c wharf - apparently 176 belonging to the time of the Order of St John. Moni Central Library (Hovedbiblioteket) in Copenhagen, toring of these works continues. from 12 December 2002 to 16 January 2003. The ex hibition was held in co ll aboration with the Ministry of Qawra Catacombs - A previously undocumented Foreign Affairs. The event hi ghlighted th e theme of complex of catacombs was di scovered at Qawra, oppo Malta's maritime identi ty, from prehistory to the pre site the well-known site of catacombs at Salina. The sent day. The exhibition was inaugurated by the Prime site was exposed in the course of construction works in Mini ster, Or Eddie Fenech Adami , and was linked to an adj acent pl ot of land . the European Uni on Summit held in Copenh agen in December 2002 . Ha! Bajjada - Remains of a prev iously undocumented catacomb site were detected in the course of develop ment works. The site's entrance stairway and elements FINE ARTS SECTION of the burial chambers surv ived. Exhibitions Ta ' Srug, Xaghra- Traces of a Prehi stori c settlement were detected at this location foll owing an evaluation Work of art by David Roberts ( 1796-1864) of a development applicati on. Poss ible hut remains A watercolour of the Grand Harbour by Dav id Roberts dating to the Ghar Dalam Phase were partially investi was put on di splay in the Museum of Fine Arts to gated. An adj oining fi eld yielded traces of Zebbug coincide with an important lecture on the artist by Dr Phase cerami cs. Donald Sultana. Research Project in Collaboration with Italian Navy In September, Museum personnel had the opportuni ty Collaborations to collaborate with Itali an Navy technical staff in marine survey techniques. The Ita li an Navy prov ided a Malta Stock Exchange minesweeper class vesse l, the SAPRI. Vari ous areas to The Museum of Fine Arts prepared a bronze replica of the South and East of th e Malta coast were surveyed as 1 Antoni o Sciortino's Les Gavroches, whi ch is to substi part of this exercise - a number of early 20 h Century tute the ori gin al bronze at the Upper Barrakka Gardens. wreck sites were located and mapped in the process. The project is being fin anced by the Malta Stock Ex Off Gozo West Coast - A 1. 7 metre long lead anchor change as part of thi s in stitution's ro le in embellishing stock dating to the Classical period was recovered by the Upper Barrakka Gardens. Museum personnel assisted by volunteer di vers. The Museum Loans anchor was placed on display at the Gozo Archaeology Museum. lstituto ltaliano di Cultura Exhibitions A painting by Pawl Carbonaro was loaned to the Itali an Lost Arts of the Ancient Goldsmiths - Valletta Cultural Institute for an exhibition of fonner scholar ship holders. A major exhibition on ancient Mediterranean jewe llery was organi sed by the Nati onal Museum of Archae Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti ology between October and November, as part of the concluding events of th e JeweiM Ed Project - an initi a Six items of fumitu re were loaned to Fondazzjoni ti ve funded by the European Commiss ion within th e Patrimonju Malti to be displayed in the exhibition ambit of the INCOMED 5°' Framework Programme. Antique Fumiture in Malta, together wi th a num ber of The exhibits included a selecti on of artisti c items in antique maiolica jars, paintings and gilt mirrors for go ld and sil ver, from the Museum 's own co ll ecti ons enhancing the di splay arrangement. The exhibition and from oth er intemati onal partners. An exhibition was held at St James Cavalier from March to April catalogue was also published fo r the event. 2002. Malta: A Maritime Nation - Copenhagen Museo Civico di Taverna A pictori al exh ibition was organised by the National Fo ll owing the success of the exhibition of draw in gs by Museum of Archaeology at the Krystallen Hall of the Mattia Preti in the nati onal collecti ons, th ree draw ings 177 from the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts were All the modem hardstone paving and concrete flooring loaned for a tempormy exhibition in the Museo Civico covering the entire kitchen section on tlie ground floor di Tavema, the Italian birthplace of Preti . The exhibi were removed, thus reinstating the original floor level. tion was open fTom 5 October 2002 to 8 January 2003. The kitchen area was re-opened to the visiting public. Other Duties A new reception area has been inaugurated. The main courtyard was embellished with benches, plants and Inventory Checks new information boards, which were also fixed in many other parts of the palace. The Museum of Fine Arts continued to conduct in ventory checks for works of art in government offices The open walkway overlooking the main garden and and other state premises. An important 17th Century joining the right wing to the left side of the palace was painting of the Immaculate Conception was transferred cleared from cement plaster. The damaged stonework to the Museum of Fine Arts for safekeeping and dis was repaired and some missing balustrades replaced. play, from the former premises of the Art and Design Centre in Merchants Street, Valletta. The project for the restoration and maintenance work on the fa<;:ade of the palace started in November, spon Sarria Church sored jointly by the Malta Tourism Authority and the Works Department.