Issue editors’ foreword [Journal of Mediterranean Studies, 9(1)]

Abstract

By its very geographical position Malta is destined to play a crucial role in international affairs, and in a special way in Mediterranean maritime affairs. It has done so in the past, ancient and not so remote, but mainly as a tool of war. In its new role, as an agent of peace, it was only recently that it was selected as the venue of an important meeting of the two super powers, a meeting that contributed in a singular manner towards the end of the cold war. In the field of heritage Malta has also made a solid contribution in the international forum when it persuaded the United Nations to approve the principle of the Common Heritage of Mankind. So the choice of Malta as the venue for the IV Forum for the Debate on the Maritime Heritage of the Mediterranean was a natural one, almost overdue. The meeting was held in the premises of the Maritime Museum on 12-14 November 1997. A substantial number of papers, some of which of considerable interest, were delivered during that meeting, but they would have remained a dead letter since no provision was made for the publication of the proceedings of the Forum. It is for this reason that the senior of the two co-editors suggested to the Board of the Mediterranean Institute of the University of Malta, way back in 1988, the publication of a selection of the papers delivered in the meeting as one of the issues of the Journal of Mediterranean Studies. What started as a simple offer on his part to help in the editing and publication of the papers ended up by his having to assume the greater part of the responsibility of seeing the contents of this edition to reach its destination. A number of difficulties were encountered which caused the delay in the completion of this number, for which we apologize to the subscribers of the Journal.