The defensive landscape of Ramla Bay in the 18th century

Abstract

The Order of St John has shaped the Maltese Islands to protect them from barbaric invasions. By investing heavily in coastal fortifications, they seek to safeguard the islands and its sheltered harbours. Throughout their reign, various coasts along the island saw the emergence of fortifications equipped with advanced weaponry and artillery. The focus of this research is on the coastal fortifications of Ramla Bay, which was fortified mainly during the 18th century. The bay has the only standing underwater defence wall on the islands, presumably used to hinder the entrance of invading fleets. Geospatial information systems (GIS) and photogrammetry were used to assess the bay from an aerial perspective and point out features of degradation. The firing range of the guns equipped was drawn on a GIS model to assess the coverage of the bay while taking into account the distances between one fortification and another. The guns were also grouped together in chronological order to allow for better understanding of their allocations. The research also discusses the use of unmanned automated vehicles (UAVs) for shallow water exploration and how it is ideal for research on the rate of the degradation the bay experiences.