Reports Government Departme
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REPORTS on the working of GOVERNMENT DEPART ME covering periods between 1st April, 1977 and 13th August, 1978 Published by the Department of Inf<> rmation Printed at l!he Central Office of Statistics (Printing Division) MALTA 1978 Price 20c INDEX Page Page House of Representatives 1 Publ ic Libraries 59 Public Service Commission 8 Museums 63 Information 10 Treasury ... 67 Armed Forces of Malta 13 Inland Revenue 71 Gozo Secretariat 19 Public Lo tto 76 Police 21 Customs 79 Civil Aviation 23 Audit 83 Statistics 25 Posts 85 Attorney General 28 Port 90 Public Registry (Malta) 31 Health 95 Public Registry (Gczo) ... 34 Public Works 98 Notary to Government (Malta) 35 Water 104 Notary to Government (Gozo) 36 Labour and Emigration 108 Courts of Law 37 Social Services 114 Prisons 40 Trade 121 Lands 43 Industry 124 Land Registry 46 Housing ... 47 Agriculture and Fisheries 128 Education 49 Milk Marketing Undertaking 131 63 ment of the skeleton - with the feet due east would ~eun to suggest a Moslem in t ~rment. Museums 5. An ancient circular pit for the storage of grain was discovered at Xewkija, Gozo in Jan (Period covered: uary; with an internal diameter of approximately 1.20 metres and a depth 1.40 1st April, 1977 to 31st March, 1978) of metres, its walls were lined with baked pottery, rendered on the inside and set in a layer of clay against the sur sounding rock. The Archaeological Section of the Depart 6. After its original use was discontinued, ment conducted an important investigation at the the pit served as a dump for broken pottery, in medieval church of Mal Millieri during the first cluding stoves, amphorae, dishes and plates. A fortnight of April 1977. The campaign was car fine rer -ware cup of terra sigillata type and stamp ried out with the active co-operation of the "Mal ed ..., ith the maker's mark and a pottery stand Millieri ar.d Bir Miftun Trust" and the Classics decorated with a Doric frieze date the find to the Department of the University of Malta. Roman period. 2. In the cour~e of the excavations the re 7. Two double-chambe:-ed rock-cut tombs mains of a small church, known from historical dating to the 2r.d l5t century B.C. were dis documents to have been dedicated to the Visita co ~vercd in 1\l::arch during construction work on a tion, were brought to light. The church was football ground near the Tarmac Factory at Mal built agairst the north wall of the existing An Far. The tombs yielded the usual furniture of nunication chapel. probably built towards the pottery items typical of the late Punic period, middle of the 15th century. Further investigation some of wh'ch clearly showing a Hellenistic im under the paved floor of the latter revealed that print. this church was preceded by ar> ~arlier chapel with a torba floor. Tt is hoped that a study of the 8. Throughout the period under review the stratified pottery a1<d co;ns foLllid in the course of Secti0n carried out a thorough re-organisation of this work would provide a more accurate chro the Conservation Laboratory at the National nol ogy for the original cvnstru.ci.ion and rebuild Museum of Archaeo'o!!y. Concurrently, essential ing o f the church. Both the Visitation and An restoration ("1f important archaeological material nunciation churche~ were found to contain a num - notably many items of Punic jewellery and ber of burials. The skeletal remains which were early Phoenicia .1 red-burnished ware - was dealt brought to light are ~e in g studied by the Ana with, in preparation for display in the extension tomy Department of the University. planned for the upper fl0or of the Museum. 3. In November a palaco-Christian cata 9. Th~ new Sciortino Hall at the National comb cut in the rock was discovered at Rabat Museum of Fine Arts, containing the best works under the back yard of a pri\'ate house under con bequeathed to the nation by the Maltese sculptor struction. The monument, however, proved to Antonio Sciortino, was inaugurated by the have been already rifled. Preliminary work on Minister of Labour, Welfare and Culture. For the the clearing of rubble in the area where the monu occasion a small exhibition of manuscripts and ment was broken into has been completed and photo~r aphs connected with Sciortino a.td his arrangements are currently being made for its work was prepared. Work on the drawings, water preservation. colours, maps and manuscripts was completed and the section is now open to the public. A pro 4. Tn October the Section was informed by per workshop has been set up. the Police that skeletal remains had been exposed by rain water near the R.A.F. station at .Y1arsa 10. A new restorer of paintings has now xlokk. Investigations showed that the skeletal joined the Museum staff on completion of his remains belonged to a simple burial in a shallow course at the lstituto Centrale del Restauro in pit, similar in all respects to several others exca Rome. This has made it easier to restore a num vated by the Section in the same area which was ber of paintings from the Museum collection as apparently ut ilised as a burial ground. It was well as pictures from Government departments impossible to date the burial with any degree of and churches. Most of the time, h owever, was a7curacy as no pottery items or objects of any taken up with the restoration of the Nasoni kmd were found associated with it. The align- Panels from the Palace. These had been taken 64 down during the last war and most of them were Subject of Exhibition E~h lbitor or Organiser in a very bad state. The panels of one of the cor Lithographs and contruc ridors were brought ~o the Museum, fixed and tions ... Christa Rudloff mounted on marine plywood and restored with Lithographs the help of a number of volunteers. A couple of etchings and panels that were missing are now being painted drawings Lady Willet and the panels of the first corridor should be up Paintings Monica Szathmary in the very near future. The other corridors will Paintings and Drawings El Faatah University then be taken in hand. Paintings and Drawings Wednesday Group 11. Another major work taken in hand re Paintings and Drawings Harry Alden cently was the re-organization of the Armoury. Paintings Esprit Barthet All the items had been transferred to the ground Paintings and Drawings Raymond Pitre floor of the Palace awaiting a proper re-arrange Paintings and Drawings H.D. Chauhan ment. This has now been taken up in earnest and should be ready this year. Paintings and Etchings R. Saliba Woodcuts and Litho- 12. All works of art at the Museum and in graphs Embassy of the Peo government premises are now being catalogued ple's Republic of and photographed to provide an up-to-date inven China tory. This has been made possible by the addi Paintings Hazel Strokes tion of a clerk to the staff. Paintings Margaret Ralston 13. Items to be exhibited in the proposed Folk Museum are being stored at the Inquisitor's 17. The staff of the National Museum of Palace, Vittoriosa and will be set up as soon as Fine Arts were responsible for the setting up of the structural repairs now being carried out are the Italian Bronzetto Exhibition held at the completed. Palace and for the Art Exhibition held in aid of the Physically Handicapped at the Embassy of 14. New acquisitions include a portrait bust the Sovereign Military Order. An exhibition of by Vincent Apap, a 17th century wax head, draw Maltese works of art was held in London and ings and some objects for the proposed folk other works were sent for exhibition abroad. An museum. exhibition of Maltese art was held at the Grand Hotel Verdala, Rabat. 15. As in previous years a good number of 18. Members of exhibitions by Maltese and foreign artists were the staff gave lectures on Art History at the University, held at the Museum. Each artist exhibiting at the School of Art and at other cultural the Museum has donated a work of art, thus help centres. They also helped to produce art programmes ing to build up a representative collection of con on M.T.V. The lec ture room was used for temporary art. It is proposed to roof over an lectures, meetings by art societies and by the area on the top floor to house this growing col "Friends of the Museums" lection. society recently set up. 19. The year's work in the National 16. The programme of temporary exhibi Museum of Natural History was mainly concen tions comprised the following: trated on the proposed Mammal halls, which were nearing completion by the end of March Subject of Exhibition Exhibitor or Organiser 1978. This sub-section will occupy three halls Paintings Hilda Lewis on the south wing of Vilhena Palace and will com Paintings Mary Depiro prise more than 45 mammals from various count tries and continents. The show-cases Paintings and the Essentialists dioramas inside them were an produced by the Prints Hungarian Artists Museum staff. Drawings and Paintings William Driscoll Drawings and Paintings Jan ne Staehr 20. A hall displaying the original colour drawings and some of the line drawings for the Drawings and Photo- book "Birds of the Maltese Archipelago" has been graphs Nicole Melnik set up.