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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Rome:20251030T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Rome:20251030T100000
DTSTAMP:20260515T211912
CREATED:20251112T130146Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251112T130152Z
UID:4968-1761818400-1761818400@nafmalta.org
SUMMARY:The Earliest Human Presence on Malta: Views from the Latnija Cave (Mellieħa)
DESCRIPTION:Speakers: Prof. Eleanor Scerri & Prof. Nicholas Vella (University of Malta)\nLanguage: English \nAbout the Lecture: \nLast April\, the announcement of the results of archaeological excavations at the Latnija Cave received acclaim for rewriting the narrative about the earliest human presence on Malta. This lecture will consider the evidence uncovered by an international team of archaeologists working at Latnija since 2019\, drawing on a suite of scientific analyses to identify the nature and extent of human activity in the cave. The findings shed light on the challenges and opportunities of small-island settlement in the Mesolithic and the ramifications of some of the longest sea crossings in the Mediterranean during this period. \nAbout the Speakers: \nProf. Eleanor Scerri is an archaeological scientist based at the Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology in Germany\, where she is the head of the Human Palaeosystems Research Group. Her research seeks to uncover the nature of the origin of our species\, our global spread\, and our interactions with the environment – with the implications for present day challenges. To do this she combines archaeology with climate science\, genetics and computational methods. She has authored over 75 publications on this subject including in the top scientific journals in the world. In doing so\, she has achieved global prominence for formulating the dominant models of recent human evolution and driving key breakthroughs in palaeoanthropology. Most recently\, she is the Principal Investigator of the European Research Council funded ‘IslandLab’ project\, a 1.5 million euro project which is re-writing the prehistory of the Maltese Islands and more broadly\, the entire Mediterranean region. She has held positions at the University of Bordeaux and the University of Oxford before joining the Max Planck Society. \nNicholas Vella is Professor in the Department of Classics and Archaeology\, University of Malta\, which he joined in 1999. He writes on Mediterranean history and archaeology\, with a focus on the ancient Phoenicians and the history of archaeological thought and practice. He has co-directed numerous excavations on multi-period sites in the Maltese Islands as part of research-led fieldwork teaching and training for students. He is Co-Investigator of the ‘IslandLab’ project for which he co-directs the fieldwork at Latnija. He has been Rome Scholar at the British School at Rome\, Getty Villa Scholar in Los Angeles\, and Research Associate at the American University of Beirut. He has led the Department of Classics and Archaeology (2011/19) and the University of Malta’s Doctoral School (2017/25). \nKindly RSVP by emailing ou******@******ta.org. Following the lecture\, we warmly invite you to the courtyard to enjoy some light refreshments. \nThis lecture is kindly supported by The Alfred Mizzi Foundation.
URL:https://nafmalta.org/nafevent/earliest-human-presence-latnija/
LOCATION:Notarial Archives Foundation\, 217\, St Paul Street\, Valletta\, VLT 1227\, Malta
CATEGORIES:Lecture
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Rome:20251120T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Rome:20251120T100000
DTSTAMP:20260515T211912
CREATED:20251112T131515Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251112T131515Z
UID:4971-1763632800-1763632800@nafmalta.org
SUMMARY:In Search of Corsairs at the Notarial Archives: My Journey
DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Liam Gauci\nLanguage: English \nAbout the Lecture: \nJoin Liam Gauci this November as he takes you on a journey through the Notarial Archives of Malta. What began as a serendipitous discovery in 2009 soon turned into a quest through centuries-old\, uncatalogued documents\, covered in dust and bearing the marks of history. Some pages were stained with ink from shipboard writing\, while others bore traces of 18th-century quarantine fumigation. Through these fragile\, forgotten manuscripts\, Liam uncovered the human stories of corsairs—adventurers who roamed the Mediterranean\, leaving behind tales of daring and heartache. This lecture promises to reveal a hidden chapter of Maltese history that was once believed to be lost\, but thanks to the NAF these have been preserved for generations to come. \nAbout the Speaker: \nLiam Gauci is a historian and author whose work has helped uncover Malta’s maritime past through the fragile pages of forgotten archives. His books\, Morte o Fortuna and In the Name of the Prince\, bring to light the world of Maltese corsairs—men who sailed under letters of marque and whose lives were entwined with empire\, trade\, and survival. \nLiam spent 18 years at the helm of the Malta Maritime Museum\, where he curated international exhibitions and collaborated with artists\, curators\, and institutions across the globe to tell Malta’s maritime story in compelling new ways. \nToday\, he serves as Senior Asset Development Manager at Heritage Malta and is the founder of Taste History\, a unique initiative that fuses food history with archival research to recreate the flavours of the past. \nKindly RSVP by emailing ou******@******ta.org. Following the lecture\, we warmly invite you to the courtyard to enjoy some light refreshments. \nThis lecture is kindly supported by The Alfred Mizzi Foundation.
URL:https://nafmalta.org/nafevent/in-search-of-corsairs-notarial-archives/
LOCATION:Notarial Archives Foundation\, 217\, St Paul Street\, Valletta\, VLT 1227\, Malta
CATEGORIES:Lecture
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Rome:20251204T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Rome:20251204T100000
DTSTAMP:20260515T211912
CREATED:20251201T084141Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251201T084241Z
UID:5032-1764842400-1764842400@nafmalta.org
SUMMARY:The Brocktorffs\, Composers and Society in 19th-century Malta
DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Dr Anna Borg Cardona\nLanguage: English \nAbout the Lecture: \nThe 19th century was a time of significant change and innovation. Lithography was introduced into Malta and embraced by local artists\, including the Brocktorffs. Improvements in the pianoforte led to the impressive increase in music outlets in Valletta\, and the growth of the amateur performer. At the same time composers recognised an opportunity to publish their own music for the growing local market. They chose the Brocktorff Press. Nothing could provide a more fascinating mirror of the age\, or better expose the influential individuals in Malta’s society\, than this salon music intended largely for local consumption. \nAbout the Speaker: \nAnna Borg Cardona\, Ph.D Music (University of Southampton\, 2018)\, author of A Musical Legacy: Malta-related music found in foreign libraries (2002)\, Daqq Għana u Żfin Malti (2007)\, Musical Instruments of the Maltese Islands (2014)\, Musical Culture and the Chitarraro Mattheo Morales in Seventeenth-Century Malta (2022)\, Music Printing by the Brocktorff Lithographers 1832-1893 (2025). Curator of several exhibitions\, including the Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti exhibition Music in Malta: From Prehistory to Vinyl (2019). Contributed several entries to the second edition of The New Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments (2014). Founder of the Ġukulari Ensemble that performs Malta’s music\, placing it within its historical and social context. \nKindly RSVP by emailing ou******@******ta.org. Following the lecture\, we warmly invite you to the courtyard to enjoy some light refreshments. \nThis lecture is kindly supported by The Alfred Mizzi Foundation.
URL:https://nafmalta.org/nafevent/brocktorffs-composers-society-malta/
LOCATION:Notarial Archives Foundation\, 217\, St Paul Street\, Valletta\, VLT 1227\, Malta
CATEGORIES:Lecture
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Rome:20260129T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Rome:20260129T113000
DTSTAMP:20260515T211912
CREATED:20260112T064931Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260127T070137Z
UID:5274-1769680800-1769686200@nafmalta.org
SUMMARY:Women in Maltese Photographic History
DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Dr Charles Paul Azzopardi\nLanguage: English \nAbout the Lecture: \nThe male-dominated business history of Maltese photography until now states that photography had no female protagonists in Malta until the Second World War\, with the first Maltese female photographer\, erroneously deemed Carmela Meilak\, in Gozo. This is a significant lacuna\, as new research has shown the presence of several other important female exponents in Maltese photography history. The role of women in photography is not limited purely to the role behind the camera but also in important roles such as the provision of the studio location\, the financial clout to set up a photographic business as happened to Lucrezia Preziosi née Metropoli with her husband\, Leandro Preziosi\, Alphonsa Ellis née Curmi with Malta’s foremost Victorian-era photographer\, Richard Ellis\, as well as Giuseppa Cali née Grech Cumbo\, who inherited her father’s photographic business as her wedding dowry and lent her name to the studio of G. G. Cumbo. This presentation aims to correct the historical inaccuracies regarding the apparent lack of female participation in Maltese photographic business history and to document\, for the first time\, the burgeoning women involved in photography\, thereby providing a more holistic account of female involvement in the early history of Maltese photography. \nAbout the Speaker: \nDr Charles Paul Azzopardi is a Maltese photo-historian whose research expertise delves into the photographic practices of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in Malta. He is a doctoral candidate at the Photographic History Research Centre at De Montfort University\, Leicester. He has made significant contributions as a curator and photographic cultural heritage consultant at the National Archives of Malta and the Richard Ellis Archive. Azzopardi’s research and photography have been published in over forty monographs\, further solidifying his standing in photography and publishing. He is also the founder of the Malta Image Preservation Archive (MIPA)\, a non-governmental organisation dedicated to preserving and digitising Maltese photographic cultural heritage and serving as a lobby group advocating for the development of a museum of Maltese photographic history and a national photographic collection. \nBooking is required. Tickets can be obtained here. Following the lecture\, we invite you to the courtyard to enjoy some light refreshments. \nThis lecture is kindly supported by The Alfred Mizzi Foundation.
URL:https://nafmalta.org/nafevent/women-in-maltese-photographic-history/
LOCATION:Notarial Archives Foundation\, 217\, St Paul Street\, Valletta\, VLT 1227\, Malta
CATEGORIES:Lecture
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Rome:20260219T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Rome:20260219T113000
DTSTAMP:20260515T211912
CREATED:20260212T140657Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260212T140446Z
UID:5279-1771495200-1771500600@nafmalta.org
SUMMARY:Il-Kumpless Storiku ta’ Sant’Agata: Il-Ftit li Nafu ... u Ftit mill-Ħafna\, li ma Nafux
DESCRIPTION:Kelliem: Raymond Saliba\, Kuratur tal-Kumpless ta’ Sant’Agata\nLingwa: Malti \nSommarju: \nIl-kumpless storiku ta’ Sant’Agata\, jikkomprendi (i) Il-Knisja prinċipali; (ii) Mużew b’riperti arkejoloġiċi\, ġejoloġiċi\, artistiċi u folkloristiċi\, fost oħrajn; (iii) firxa kbira t’Ipoġej\, Puniċi\, Pagani/Rumani u Kristjani; (iv) żewġ Knejjes sotterranji; (v) Shelters tat-Tieni Gwerra Dinjija u (vi) Il-Kunvent MSSP u l-Kulleġġ SPCM. Hawn qed insemmu l-akbar kumpless mibni u skavat tal-gżejjer Maltin. Mhux ċajta! Ir-relevanza storika\, arkejoloġika u soċjali ta’ tali kumpless\, għadha trid tiġi magħrufa u valutata\, biex tkun apprezzata kif jixirqilha. Dak li ser nagħmlu f’din it-taħdita hu eserċiżżju ħafif biex biex nevalwaw dan il-patrimonju mportanti\, bħala parti min strateġija ħollistika għal manteniment xieraq tiegħu\, flimkien m’għarfien mill-Maltin u l-barranin li jżuruna. \nDħul b’xejn. Reġistrazzjoni meħtieġa. Segwi din il-ħolqa: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/il-kumpless-storiku-ta-santagata-raymond-saliba-tickets-1982877710610?aff=oddtdtcreator
URL:https://nafmalta.org/nafevent/kumpless-storiku-ta-sant-agata/
LOCATION:Notarial Archives Foundation\, 217\, St Paul Street\, Valletta\, VLT 1227\, Malta
CATEGORIES:Lecture
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Rome:20260305T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Rome:20260305T100000
DTSTAMP:20260515T211912
CREATED:20260220T095433Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260311T101042Z
UID:5299-1772704800-1772704800@nafmalta.org
SUMMARY:The Militia List (1419/1420): some considerations about its toponymic and onomastic content
DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Simon Salafia\nLanguage: Maltese \nSummary: \nWettinger’s Militia List (published in 1969) provides a valuable sample of the personal names and surnames of people living in Malta in the early fifteenth century. While family names have been analysed by several local scholars\, including Wettinger himself\, the personal names of our ancestors living in Malta some 600 years ago never appear to have been examined in detail. The aim of this lecture is to present a comprehensive analysis of this corpus of personal names in order to propose more plausible interpretations of local toponyms. Moreover\, from an onomastic perspective\, these given names reveal Sicilian and Catalan influences inherent in the inventory. \nEntrance is free\, however registration is required. Please follow this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1983613099177
URL:https://nafmalta.org/nafevent/the-militia-list-1419-1420-some-considerations-about-its-toponymic-and-onomastic-content/
LOCATION:Notarial Archives Foundation\, 217\, St Paul Street\, Valletta\, VLT 1227\, Malta
CATEGORIES:Lecture
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Rome:20260326T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Rome:20260326T120000
DTSTAMP:20260515T211912
CREATED:20260311T000042Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260311T100931Z
UID:5285-1774519200-1774526400@nafmalta.org
SUMMARY:Putting Arms to Paper: Fighting Manuals as Pedagogical Texts in Italy and Germany\, c. 1380–1700
DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Adam Peter Fretwell\nLanguage: English \nSummary: \nThis lecture examines European fighting manuals produced between approximately\n1380 and 1700\, focusing on Italian and German traditions and treating these sources as\npedagogical artefacts rather than merely repositories of technique. Beginning with late\nmedieval manuscript traditions – most notably Fiore dei Liberi’s Fior di Battaglia and the\nJohannes Liechtenauer’s Zettel – the talk traces how embodied martial knowledge was\nstructured and transmitted across both handwritten and printed media. Particular\nattention is given to the role of illustration\, verse\, and diagrammatic sequencing in\ncommunicating complex physical actions\, as well as to the interpretive limits imposed\nby their inherent abstraction. \nThe lecture then follows the transition into the early modern period\, where figures such\nas Achille Marozzo\, Joachim Meyer\, Ridolfo Capoferro\, and Francesco Antonio Marcelli\nincreasingly employed print culture and systematisation to address changing social\ncontexts of education in violence. Through comparative manuscript analysis\, including\ndirect engagement with original sources where possible\, the talk highlights both\ncontinuities and significant pedagogical shifts between medieval and early modern\nfencing literature. \nThe lecture will also offer a measured critique of modern engagements with these\nmanuals\, particularly within Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA). While\nacknowledging the movement’s success in recovering and popularising neglected\nsources\, it argues that contemporary reconstructions often under-theorise issues of\npedagogy\, visual rhetoric\, alongside textual transmission\, treating manuals as\ntransparent technical guides rather than culturally situated teaching tools. By reframing\nfighting manuals as deliberate instructional compositions shaped by medium and\nintent\, this lecture advocates for a more historically grounded and critically reflective\napproach to their study and modern practice. \nAbout the Speaker:\n\nAdam Peter Fretwell is currently studying History and English at the University of Malta and is studying in Italy to become a Maestro d’Armi in the field of Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA). With a passion rooted in both academic inquiry and practical experience\, he has been actively involved in HEMA since 2007—beginning with archery in the UK\, and then in 2008 joining Show of Arms\, a School of Arms in Malta\, and currently is the head instructor teaching various techniques and weapon systems from 12th to 19th Century\, which he has also put to the test in various tournaments around Europe and the UK. In his free time\, he works in translating manuscripts from this historical timeframe into English. His interest lies in interpreting historical fencing manuals through the lens of modern body biomechanics\, offering fresh perspectives on how martial culture and technique have been informed by\, and adapted to\, the human body over time. His work invites readers and practitioners alike to embrace alternative views as a gateway to rethinking historical combat traditions. \nImportant Information \nEntrance is free but booking is required. Kindly book through this Eventbrite link.\nOnce you have successfully booked\, your name will be added to our guest list. There is no need to print your ticket(s). \nAttendees are kindly asked to arrive a few minutes before the scheduled start time. As the event is free and seating is limited\, any unoccupied seats may be offered to walk-ins once the lecture begins. \nPlease note that\, due to ongoing repairs to the lift\, the lecture hall is currently accessible only via three flights of stairs. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding. \nPlease also note that our lectures are photographed and may be recorded for documentation\, archival\, and media purposes. \nThis lecture is kindly supported by The Alfred Mizzi Foundation.
URL:https://nafmalta.org/nafevent/putting-arms-to-paper-fighting-manuals-as-pedagogical-texts/
LOCATION:Notarial Archives Foundation\, 217\, St Paul Street\, Valletta\, VLT 1227\, Malta
CATEGORIES:Lecture
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Rome:20260416T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Rome:20260416T200000
DTSTAMP:20260515T211912
CREATED:20260326T131453Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260328T132151Z
UID:5312-1776362400-1776369600@nafmalta.org
SUMMARY:Ejja Nagħmlu Festa bil-Kantilena
DESCRIPTION:Taħdita speċjali għall-anniversarju tal-iskrizzjoni tal-Kantilena fir-Reġistru tal-Memorja tad-Dinja tal-UNESCO. Bi sħab mad-Dipartiment tal-Malti fl-UM. \nKelliem: Dr Olvin Vella \nTaqsira: \nNitolbukom taqraw il-Kantilena minn qabel\, jekk qatt ma qrajtuha. U mbagħad ħalluna nġorrukom aħna u nsemmu l-karigi politiċi fil-Medjuevu\, kemm waqa’ bini għax ma kinux jagħmlu t-testijiet tal-blat\, x’erba’ espressjonijiet kellhom\, kemm il-kliem jibdel it-tifsira tiegħu\, kemm il-ħoss tal-Malti kien ferm differenti minn tal-lum\, u kemm daħqitilna xortina meta xi ħadd\, forsi bi żball\, illega manetta kważi vojta mal-bqija tal-manetti li kellhom il-kuntratti u t-testmenti. \nId-dħul huwa bla ħlas\, iżda l-postijiet huma limitati. Reġistrazzjoni meħtieġa. \n\nLadarba tirreġistra\, m’hemmx bżonn tistampa l-biljett.\nNitolbukom taslu ftit qabel. Hekk kif tibda t-taħdita\, siġġijiet mhux okkupati se jingħataw lil min jattendi mingħajr prenotazzjoni.\nIt-taħdita se tiġi fotografata u rrekordjata għal skopijiet ta’ dokumentazzjoni\, arkivjar u midja.\nIl-lift bħalissa mhux qed jaħdem. Aċċess bit-taraġ biss (żewġ sulari).
URL:https://nafmalta.org/nafevent/ejja-naghmlu-festa-bil-kantilena/
LOCATION:Notarial Archives Foundation\, 217\, St Paul Street\, Valletta\, VLT 1227\, Malta
CATEGORIES:Lecture
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Rome:20260429T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Rome:20260429T210000
DTSTAMP:20260515T211912
CREATED:20260415T195407Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260420T131406Z
UID:5341-1777485600-1777496400@nafmalta.org
SUMMARY:The Secrets of Parchment: Exploring Research and Craftsmanship through the Ġilduża Project
DESCRIPTION:Overview \nTitle: The Secrets of Parchment: Exploring Research and Craftsmanship through the Ġilduża Project\nDate & Time: Wednesday\, 29 April\, 2026 | 18:00\nLocation: Notarial Registers Archive\, 217\, St Paul Street\, Valletta \nBringing together leading experts\, the seminar will examine parchment from multiple perspectives\, from traditional craftsmanship to scientific research. At the centre of the seminar is Ġilduża\, a project working towards the revival of parchment-making in Malta through collaboration between artisans\, conservators\, historians\, scientists\, and farmers. Ġilduża\, co-funded by the European Union under the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD)\, is a collaborative project between the Notarial Archives Foundation\, the Malta Public Abattoir\, and Dr Jiří Vnouček. \nProgramme and Speakers \n18:00\nWelcoming addresses and introductions \n\n18:40\nParchment making in Malta: towards a revival: The Ġilduża project bringing together artisans\, conservators\, historians\, scientists\, and farmers\nDr Jiří Vnouček\, Senior Researcher\, The Royal Library Copenhagen\n& Chanelle Mifsud Briffa\, Head of Conservation\, Notarial Archives Foundation \nAbstract \nThis project brings Malta’s traditional craft of parchment-making back to life\, exploring its history\, techniques\, and cultural significance. In the process\, a new training centre is being set up to pass on this knowledge through hands-on learning. This project brings together participants from various fields. \nThe initiative uses locally sourced animal skins that would otherwise go to waste\, promoting a sustainable approach to craft and supporting local communities. Collaboration between multiple institutions ensures the revival is socially\, culturally\, and ecologically responsible. \nLooking ahead\, the project also aims to incorporate the study of Maltese livestock genetics to help understand historical parchment production\, distinguish local from imported skins\, and fill gaps in knowledge of Malta’s material history. \nBio-notes \nJiří Vnouček studied conservation in Prague. In 1992/93 he was an intern with Christopher Clarkson at West Dean College\, England. In 2010 he obtained a Master’s degree in conservation in Copenhagen\, Denmark. In 2019 he completed his doctorate at the University of York (Centre of Medieval Studies and the Department of Archaeology) in England. From 1984 to 1991 he was a paper and book conservator at the Strahov Library in Prague and from 1993 to 2005 head of the Conservation Department at the National Library of the Czech Republic. He has been employed at the Royal Danish Library as a conservator since 2005 and as a senior researcher since 2024. His research combines methods of visual assessment of parchment in medieval manuscripts with experience from his own experimental parchment making and manuscript conservation. He regularly organizes workshops\, lectures and publishes articles on these topics. From 2019 to 2024 he participated in the ERC research project Beast to Craft and from January 2025 he is a member of the research team of the ERC project Insular Manuscripts in the Age of Charlemagne. \nChanelle Mifsud Briffa is Head of Conservation at the Notarial Archives Foundation. In 2020\, she was awarded a warrant as a book and paper conservator by the Bord tal-Warrant tar-Restawraturi. She is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Malta\, where her research focuses on the discolouration of 18th-century documents through non-invasive analytical techniques. \n\n19:10\nParchment: Layers of Meaning – The Biomolecular Adventure Hidden in Every Document\nProf. Matthew Collins\, Professor of Palaeoproteomics at the University of Cambridge and Professor of Bioarchaeology at the GLOBE Institute\, University of Copenhagen \nAbstract \nBefore any word was written\, a document had a biography. The parchment on which a notary’s hand moved was once a living animal whose skin was soaked in lime\, stretched on a frame\, and scraped to translucency. For centuries\, scholars have read what is written on these pages. We can now read what is written in them. \nEvery sheet of parchment is simultaneously a legal record\, a biological archive\, a chemical time capsule\, and an environmental diary. Using techniques drawn from ancient DNA analysis\, protein fingerprinting\, and stable isotope chemistry\, we can now recover the species and geographic origin of the animal\, the season in which it was slaughtered\, the diseases it carried\, the climate it lived through\, and the hands that handled the finished document across generations of use. \nBio-note \nMatthew Collins is Professor of Palaeoproteomics at the University of Cambridge and Professor of Bioarchaeology at the GLOBE Institute\, University of Copenhagen. Together with Sarah Fiddyment\, he developed the non-destructive electrostatic extraction technique that allows protein and DNA recovery from medieval manuscripts without damaging the object\, enabling investigation of parchment production\, species identification\, and the use of exotic materials in bindings. He co-developed ZooMS (Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry)\, now widely used in heritage science. He is a co-investigator on the CODICUM ERC Synergy Grant\, an interdisciplinary project applying biomolecular methods to Nordic manuscript fragments. He is a Fellow of the British Academy\, the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters\, and the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences\, and a recipient of the Pomerance Award for Scientific Contributions to Archaeology. \n\n19:35\nPox in the parchment: What can we learn about ancient animal diseases from parchment\nDr Kevin Daly\, Assistant Professor at UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science\, University College Dublin \nAbstract \nIn addition to their use in manuscripts\, parchments represent the preserved tissue of animals that may have lived over a thousand years ago. DNA preserved in these materials can recover information about the animal itself\, as well as the pathogens that may have affected them. \nThis presentation will describe the recovery of the sheeppox virus from medieval European parchments made from a range of species. From 21 ancient virus genomes\, spanning from the Bronze Age to Early Modern Europe and recovered from both parchment and skeletal remains\, we learn how this highly lethal animal disease evolved alongside human civilisation. \nThese findings demonstrate how animal diseases have shaped human history\, and how parchment represents a rich biological archive of our past. \nBio-note \nKevin Daly is an Assistant Professor at the UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science\, University College Dublin. A trained geneticist\, Dr Daly’s research has focused on the domestication of small ruminants (sheep and goats). From March 2026\, he will lead the European Research Council-funded project “HERDPATH”\, exploring how livestock and pathogens have coevolved since the beginning of livestock keeping. \n\n20:00\nMetagenomics and the Study of Parchment Purple Spot Damage\nDr Ana Catarina Pinheiro\, Senior Technician\, Biology\, Analytical Laboratory\, José de Figueiredo Laboratory \nAbstract \nParchment biodeterioration\, particularly the formation of purple spots associated with collagen fibre degradation\, remains an important challenge in manuscript conservation. This study reviews recent advances in the field and presents metagenomic data obtained from medieval codices with different preservation conditions. \nDNA extracted from samples collected from a heavily affected manuscript and from a comparatively well-preserved codex was analysed through Illumina sequencing targeting the 16S rRNA V3–V4 region for bacteria and ITS markers for fungi. The results support the currently proposed microbial succession model\, in which halophilic microorganisms introduced during brining are followed by environmental bacteria and fungi. \nThe predominance of Actinomycetota\, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria in the analysed samples is consistent with later stages of this process and reinforces the relevance of manufacture and use-related contamination in the biodeterioration of parchment. \nThese findings confirm the value of metagenomics for investigating parchment degradation while also underlining the need for broader comparative studies and refined methodologies. \nBio-note \nCatarina Pinheiro is a pharmacist and conservator-restorer with a PhD in Conservation Science. Her research has focused on microbiology applied to cultural heritage\, with work carried out at the University of Coimbra\, NOVA University Lisbon\, and the University of Évora. She currently works at the José de Figueiredo Laboratory (Museus e Monumentos de Portugal)\, Lisbon\, where she is responsible for biological analysis and co-coordinates integrated pest management across a network of 37 museum institutions in Portugal. \n\n20:30\nConcluding Remarks \n\n20:40\nDrinks & Nibbles \n\nRegistration \nFree entrance. Seating is limited.  Registration now open . \nOther useful information: \nThere is no need to print tickets once order is confirmed. \nSeating is limited. Once the event starts\, all unoccupied seating will be given to walk-ins. We encourage you to be on time as seat availability is on a first-come\, first-served basis. \nThe seminar will be photographed and filmed for documentation\, and use in media and reporting. \nThe lift is currently unavailable. Access through staircase only (2 floors).
URL:https://nafmalta.org/nafevent/the-secrets-of-parchment-gilduza/
LOCATION:Notarial Archives Foundation\, 217\, St Paul Street\, Valletta\, VLT 1227\, Malta
CATEGORIES:Event
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Rome:20260521T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/Rome:20260521T120000
DTSTAMP:20260515T211912
CREATED:20260511T083701Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260511T083701Z
UID:5389-1779357600-1779364800@nafmalta.org
SUMMARY:Contested Images: Women’s (Mis)representations in Malta\, c. 1960s–1980s
DESCRIPTION:Contested Images: Women’s (Mis)representations in Malta\, c. 1960s–1980s \nSpeaker: Dr Simone Azzopardi \nAbstract: \nAs post-independence Malta grappled with cultural friction between Catholic conservatism and features of secularisation\, debates about decency\, morality\, and the image of women surfaced in censorship battles\, public scandal\, and the pages of the commercial press. Advertising\, film\, radio and print media constructed competing and often contradictory ideals\, often framing women either as the dutiful housewife or the sexualised temptress\, while holding them to moral standards. Drawing on the archives of the National Council of Women\, the Muviment għall-Emanċipazzjoni tal-Mara\, and Min-Naħa tan-Nisa\, this lecture traces how these organisations responded to the ways women were portrayed – each from their own distinct standpoint\, from moral guardianship to feminist critique – in a landscape that simultaneously idealised\, objectified\, and policed the Maltese woman. \nEntrance is Free but registration is required. \nAbout the Speaker:\n \nSimone Azzopardi is a lecturer in the Department of History at the University of Malta\, where she teaches late modern and contemporary Maltese\, European\, and global history. She has long been active in the Malta Historical Society\, where she currently serves as Vice-President\, a position she also holds in the Malta University Historical Society. Beyond academia\, she is also the chairperson of the environmental NGO Għawdix. \nOther Information: \n\nOnce registration is confirmed\, there is no need to print your ticket(s).\nWe kindly advise arriving a little early. Seating is on a first-come\, first-served basis. Once the lecture begins\, any unoccupied seating will be allocated to walk-ins.\nThe lift is currently unavailable. Access is by staircase only (2 floors).\nPlease note that the lecture will be photographed and recorded for documentation and media purposes.
URL:https://nafmalta.org/nafevent/contested-images-womens-misrepresentations-in-malta-1960s-1980s/
LOCATION:Notarial Archives Foundation\, 217\, St Paul Street\, Valletta\, VLT 1227\, Malta
CATEGORIES:Lecture
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