It's not just another script in the wall

Abstract

Thousands of graffiti are spread across the Maltese islands. They tell part of the story of Malta that is not written in documents. Guzeppi Muscat, the pioneer of the study of Maltese graffiti, had been working incessantly for decades to document, study and preserve these engravings, according to Heritage Malta curator Liam Gauci. Unfortunately, since the local globigerina limestone is soft, these graffiti are gradually deteriorating, which is why the Malta Maritime Museum and Heritage Malta are documenting them before they are lost forever. The historical importance of graffiti, which some consider as an act of vandalism, has only been recently acknowledged and remain a new facet of maritime research.