| CODE | GEO1017 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Maltese Heritage through Maps | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 3 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Geography | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit will provide insights of maltese heritage legacy as illustrated through melitensia maps: elements, material and techniques that have shaped the cartographic development and related heritage of the Maltese Islands. It will cover all the relevant aspects that have contributed to the development of Maltese maps: the geo-historical context, the techniques used, the methods and materials, the pioneers in cartography, maps as a reflection of societal evolution, the on-going developments by government and civil society for promotion and conservation of maps as national heritage. Site lectures will engage students in map viewing sessions at various cartographic collections present in Malta, either the public collections housed at MUZA or the National Archives and/or private ones (whenever possible). Students may also be requested to attend events held by the Malta Map Society (free of charge) Study-Unit Aims: - To offer students insights into the study of the Melitensia cartography from an academic perspective, with an emphasis on the evolution of maps within the historical and geographical realm of an island state but also within the geo-political context present in the Mediterranean region; -To highlight how both the geographic dimension and historical development on the Maltese Islands impacted the content and techniques used to create melitensia maps in various forms, states and styles; -To exemplify how these maps offer an important narrative of the meaningful connection between the society and its cultural and economic and political evolution; -To highlight on-going developments and contribution made by government and civil society to foster awareness, conservation and protection of this important heritage. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - explain the key historical developments, techniques, pioneers and methods of production concerning Maltese cartography; - highlight and analyze key themes in melitensia cartographic studies from an academic and societal perspective and issues pertaining to mapping production, techniques and heritage conservation; - critically appraise how an interdisciplinary approach to cartographic interpretation - which takes in a variety of spatial and temporal perspectives - provides for a better understanding of landscapes, situations and events that characterised the Maltese Islands through the centuries; - appreciate the flux of local written and spoken language through the merging of the Semitic, Romance and English mode of identifying toponyms (place names). 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - read critically and selectively and make sense of a range of secondary sources, journal papers and book chapters about Melitensia cartography and be aware of the cartographic related Melitensia publications on Malta and Gozo; - navigate with confidence through online resources and understand how to distinguish between generic web sites and serious academic and professional tools for the study of cartography; - engage in a map viewing session to master visual and content interpretation of melitensia maps; - master cartographic literacy skills by presenting content analyses work of selected maps; - write a map viewing report with a clear structure and logical presentation of arguments; - discern the benefits of an interdisciplinary approach in seeking to gain a geo-historical perspective of the melitensia cartographic development of the Maltese Islands; - become familiar with related issues and roles of government and civil society in promoting and protecting cartographic heritage; All of these skills are transferable and will prove useful to students in a variety of fields and career avenues. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Cassar, Saliba, Miriti, Gili (2011) The Early Maltese Cartographers: , Malta Map Society, 2011, 47pp., illus. - Soler, W. and Ganado A. (2013), The Charting of Maltese Waters, Malta, [20 December] 2013, 160pp., illus. - Ganado, A. and Schirò J. (2016), The Pre-Siege Maps of Malta: second century AD-1564, Malta, 2016, 229pp., illus. - Mangion, G. (ed.) (1989) Malta maps of the 17th and 18th centuries’, Maltese Baroque, , Malta, 1989, 74-82, illus. Offprint. - Gauci R. and Schembri J.A (2017) “From outcrops to maps: the birth of geological maps of the Maltese Islands in the 19th century – Part I.” Malta Map Society Journal, Volume 1, Issue 2, February 2017, pgs 16-26. ISSN: 2412-1622. - Gauci R. and Schembri J.A. (2019) “From outcrops to maps: the birth of geological maps of the Maltese Islands in the 19th century - Part II” Malta Map Society Journal, Volume 1, Issue 4, February 2019, pgs 48-47. ISSN- 2412-1622. - Schembri, J.A. (2018) The geographies of the Sceberras peninsula: examining its physical contours. In Proceedings of History Week 2015:the 1565 Great Siege, the Founding of Valletta and their lasting effects. Borg, S. Borg,J. and Mallia, D. eds.pp 22-37. Supplementary Readings: - Malta Map Society (2009) Miniature Maps of Malta. Catalogue raisonné of an exhibition held in Gozo 12 Sept. – 11 Oct. 2009, organized by Heritage Malta in collaboration with the Ministry for Gozo, with Joseph Schirò and Bernadine Scicluna curators of the exhibition.127pp., 103 illus. - Schiro Joseph (2011) German Malta Maps, Catalogue raisonné. Issued for the inauguration of the exhibition ‘German Malta Maps’ held at the Malta Maritime Museum, Vittoriosa, 23 Sept. – 15 Oct. 2011, organized by the Malta Map Society in collaboration with Heritage Malta. Malta, 2011, 190pp., 87 illus. - Schembri J. A., Gauci R., Furlani S. and Mizzi R. (2017) Malta in the First World War: an appraisal through cartography and local newspapers” In Wallis J. and Harvey D. (eds) Commemorative Spaces of the First World War: Historical Geographies at the Centenary. Routledge, Chapter 5, pp 68-82. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Independent Study | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Ritienne Gauci John A. Schembri |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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