Museums Department Site Management Unit

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Museums Department Site Management Unit 147 blocked-up doorways were re-opened, and modern 'I """'\ joinery works were installed. Museums Department Site Management Unit A number of projects were continued or initiated (Period covered: at the following archaeological sites: ~ 1st January, 1998 to 31st December, 1998) A The Hypogeum Conservation Project - Works here were slowed down considerably while approval was obtained for the cost variations required to ARCHAEOLOGY SECTION implement a number of improvements to the new visitor experience. Works resumed at a rapid rate National Museum of Archaeology during the second half of the year. Visitor walkways were installed in the upper level of the site, which The Museum's main objective for 1998 was the may now be properly experienced by the visitor for re-opening of the Prehistoric Collection to the the first time. The audio-visual experience has been general public on the ground floor of the Auberge de finalised and translated into five languages, and the Provence. This was achieved on the 4th of April related furnishings and equipment installed. 1998. The Museum's innovative display design has proved to be very successful with both the Maltese Tarxien Temples - New, improved sanitary facilities and foreign visitors. This achievement included the were installed on the site, as well as a number of setting up of a new system of showcases, the information panels which were placed within the site production of graphics and models, the preparation itself. These initiatives were partially funded by the of extensive bilingual texts (in Maltese and English), Bank of Valletta International Heritage Trust, which and the review and restoration of hundreds of meanwhile continued negotiations with Government archaeological artefacts. The interpretative display regarding its possible future role in the management was financed by the J.P.Getty Foundation (1996/ and conservation of this site. 2001 financial grant). Hagar Qim - A new programme of works was The upper floor of the Museum was meanwhile used launched at Hagar Qim. The objectives of these to host a temporary archaeological exhibition entitled works were to improve the quality of the visitor "Sulla Rotta dei F enici" which displayed - side by side experience by re-integrating the site within its · various aspects of Phoenician culture from Malta as landscape. A new fence was designed with the well as from Sicily, Sardegna and Ibiza. This event - support of the Restoration Unit of the Works which opened on the 3rd ofNovember- was organised Division. This was designed to minimise its visual jointly with the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of impact without compromising security by following Foreign Affairs, the lstituto ltaliano di Cultura in the contours of the landscape, adopting a light Malta, the Ministero degli Affari Esteri and tensile structure, and doubling the distance from the Associazione Civita. A full-colour catalogue of the site to the fence. The old, more obtrusive, enclosure exhibition was published for this event, .with the help will be dismantled in 1999. Saplings of trees from a and sponsorship of the Malta Experience. This event number of species which were believed to have been attracted a lot of attention particularly from the Maltese present in Malta in prehistory were also planted, and public. Furthermore, a public seminar was organised the car park upgraded. on the 2nd of October at the Auberge de Provence on the theme of Phoenician archaeology. The speakers to World Monuments Watch Grant- Following a this well attended seminar were Or T Gouder, Prof. A successful application submitted by the Department, Acquaro and Prof.ssa A Ciasca. the World Monuments Watch awarded a $50,000 grant for a conservation study to take place at Meanwhile structural works m the Museum's Mnajdra. The purpose ofthis study will be to gain a upper floors have been continued, antiquated better understanding of deterioration processes electrical and plumbing systems were replaced, old affecting the site, and to identify safe solutions. This 148 was intended to be a pilot study; other Maltese impressive Punic ashlar construction was discovered megalithic sites would benefit from this research. in the Mesquita Square sondage - given its dimensions, these remains must belong to an UNESCO World Heritage Emergency Fund important public or defensive construction. Equally Grant - On the 28th of November 1998, part of the impressive were the Byzantine and Islamic remains northern side of the first apse collapsed at Hagar Qirn. discovered at the above two sites. Early modern The damage occurred to the right of the temples as one remains were investigated at Palazzo Xara and enters through the main entrance. The World Heritage St.Paul's Street illustrating Mdina's transformation Committee happened to be holding one of its sessions by the Order of St. John during the 16th and 17th and was immediately informed. The Museums Depart­ Century. ment submitted a request for emergency funds. The Committee approved a grant equal to $72,000 dollars Paola - A rock-cut tomb was discovered at Triq that was intended to cover the greater part of the costs il-Vittmi Tax-Xoghol, Ghajn Dwieli. Investigation of reconstructing the collapsed area, as well as of the tomb established that it was probably Punic in conducting a preventive study to avoid a repetition of date, although most of the tomb's original contents such collapses. were found to be missing. The tomb is the fourth to be discovered within this limited zone in recent Heritage Information Unit years. Arrangements for the tomb's preservation were undertaken with Enemalta, who were the The Unit's more important archaeological proprietors of the site. interventions in 1998 were the following : Marsaxlokk- The Unit supervised two separate Birkirkara - A double-chambered rock-cut tomb archaeological investigations at the Punic sanctuary was discovered at Triq 11-Kbira, Has-S~.ijied. The at Tas-Silg. The Missione Archaeologica Italiana in tomb had been emptied of its contents in antiquity, Malta continued with the re-evaluation of the site's but its internal rock-cut arrangements were northern half, while the University of Malta carried extremely well preserved. The tomb was roughly on with its sondages in the southern half. Talks datable to the Late Roman era. It was being between the Museums Department and the Missione preserved by the owner of the property. Archaeologica have been initiated with respect to the long-term conservation and public presentation of Birzebbugia - An impressive masonry structure this important and little appreciated monument. made of large stone blocks was discovered immediately to the south of the megalithic temple of Borg in-Nadur. Also at Marsaxlokk, two skeletons were discovered An investigation established conclusively that the in the coastal area known as Ghar L-Ahrnar. The first remains dated to the Borg in-Nadur phase, and that individual was found in a supine position within a they belonged to an extensive system of Bronze Age shall~w trench cut into the natural sub-soil. The body fortifications that seemed to encircle the entire hill-top. was oriented on an east/west axis, the head being Furthermore, it was determined that this defensive wall placed to the west. Unfortunately, the second individual was constructed over the remains of an earlier domestic was disturbed by vandals before its location was structure which included a small oven. It was also reported to the Museum. This is the fifth inhumation to datable to the Bronze Age. be recorded from this area over the last 30 years. Mdina - The Unit carried out three archaeological Zurrieq - The investigation of the Xarolla interventions at Mesquita Square, Xara Palace and St. catacomb cluster has been started anew, resulting in Paul's Street in relation to ongoing development works. the uncovering of nine new small catacombs. One These soundings provided a wealth of entirely new tomb was discovered beneath the Zurrieq-Hal Safi archaeological data on the origins and history ofMdina. Road, and access to it was maintained through the construction of a man-hole. The remaining tombs Important Phoenician layers (datable to the were all clustered further to the west of the 8th/6th Century BC) were encountered at both catacombs discovered in 1996. Work on this Mesquita Square and at Palazzo Xara, including the impressive cluster of Late Roman funerary remains of various domestic floors and hearths. An monuments is continuing into 1999 and a fence has 149 been temporarily erected around the site through the three-man team was now working on the costume agency ofthe Works Division. collection which should be installed at the Auberge de France, Birgu. Medieval Ceramics Survey - The Unit was involved in a re-assessment of the extensive collection of archaeological materials kept in reserve GEOLOGYANDPALAEONTOLOGY storage by the Museum of Archaeology. In view of SECTION the forthcoming opening of the historic galleries at the Auberge de Provence, priority was given to the Geology and Palaeontology Sections, Mdina - study of the Classical and Medieval materials. In Work in this section included the substitution of particular, during the month of June, a thorough outdated labels and the introduction of new storage survey of all the Museum holdings of Medieval facilities for the collection of fossil fi sh - the fossils ceramics was carried out with the generous being first cleaned and reinforced with polyvinyl assistance of Dott.ssa Alessandra Molinari of the solution. he principal addition to the geological Universita' di Siena. Materials from 28 different collection consisted in a sirenian rib fragment excavations were examined in detail and an embedded in a boulder of greensands, impounded by impressive amount of new information on Malta's the Curator from a foreign collector of fossils. little-understood Medieval past has been compiled. This information has been presented in a Technical Ghar Dalam Museum - lnfrastructural works Report and will form the basis of the Museum' s included the construction of new drawer-system storage projected Medieval display.
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