DIG – IT Vol. 6, Issue 3 Journal of the Flinders University Archaeology and History Society 2 Dig It — Volume 6 ArcHSoc would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands upon which Flinders University stands, the Kaurna people. We acknowledge their connection to the lands and waters of their country, and pay our respect to their elders past, present and emerging. ArcHSoc Committee 2022 President: Deven Crawford Vice President: Will Mussared Treasurer: Imogen Lymbery Undergraduate Rep: Nadine Stirling Postgraduate Rep: Gwen Ferguson Indigenous Rep: Jasmine Willika Communications Officers: Rikayah Carver Jessy Mitchell Events Coordinator: Kate Lawrence Membership Officer: Lucy Thiele Dig It Editor Thomas Bowden Cover: ArcHSoc merchandise table at Flinders Open Days, 12 & 13 August 2022. (Source: T.H. Bowden) Dig It — Issue 3 3 Contents Editorial 04 Thomas Bowden Irish Fieldschool 2023 winter season open! 05 My experience presenting at NASC 2022 06 Lucy Thiele ArcHSoc tour the Treasury Tunnels 07 Anastasia Marsden Essay: “ So, you want to work in a museum? ” 09 Thomas Bowden & Cameron McVicar Melite Civitas Romana Project 18 Cate Sexton, David Cardona, Robert Brown, Ben Lowe, Davide Tanasi and Andrew Wilkinson Geo - cosmic Archaeology: The Archaeology of Cosmic Impact 26 Marc D. Young Dig It is an open access journal. The journal and the individual articles can be freely distributed; however, individual authors and Dig It must be cited and acknowledged correctly. Articles, figures and other content cannot be altered without the prior permission of the author. Correspondence to the Editor - in - Chief should be emailed to: digit.archsoc@gmail.com Dig It Editorial — Vol. 6. Editor - in - Chief: Thomas Bowden Sub - editor: Nadine Stirling Sub - editor: Will Mussared Sub - editor: Josh Wightman Graphic Design: Deven Crawford (this issue) Thomas Bowden The Dig It Special Edition is not counted in the issue numbering system for Vol. 6. South Australian Railways Locomotive Department engineering diagram, 1891. (Source: National Railway Museum archive) 4 Dig It — Volume 6 W elcome to the third issue of Dig It for 2022! A major downside of e - publication is that file sizes can be ... hefty ... and thus unable to fit through conventional email mailing lists. This happened with our publication of issue 2 – the trade - off for having a vast quantity of high - resolution images is that the file is enormous. Fortunately, a solution was found in form of a very tidy (and free!) PDF host online, which allows everyone – not just people on the mailing list – to download and view our journal. It all worked out in the end – much to my enormous relief! (And I will be passing on this information to my successors, so that they may avoid the pitfalls that my team and I have encountered along the road to publication). When I look back at what we have managed to achieve this year in spite of a myriad of setbacks, I am all the more pleased at having been involved in it. At the very beginning, I was a little worried about how it would all pan out, but it has gone, in my humble opinion, rather well. I hope that the work we have done this year sets up the next committee to hit the ground running and achieve even more. This issue will be the final ‘ regular ’ issue for 2022 and volume VI. It contains several examples of student work and a few ArcHSoc notices. The publication date of our Special Edition, covering two experimental archaeology sessions conducted by Chantal Wight and Susan Arthure (et al!), is not fixed but it will be released as soon as it is ready. As the year draws to a close, I must mention here what I already mentioned in my FUAD emails about the progress of Dig It: sadly, the time has run out for a physical print - run. The demand has never been particularly strong for the printed copies, and they do cost money to produce. Perhaps a future Editor might find the money and the time to organise it for a future volume. Finally, I would again like to thank everybody who was involved in Dig It this year. Especial thanks to Ms Deven Crawford, your President and my graphic designer, for her artistic ability in bringing to life my grand plans. Also, to my Editorial Board, for their work proofing and discussing ideas. Additionally, I would like to thank all our contributors for volume VI – we literally could not do it without you. A shoutout as well to Chantal Wight and Susan Arthure for approaching me about the Special Edition, and also to those involved in the experimental archaeology program behind the scenes! And finally, I would like to thank Flinders Archaeology as a whole – students and staff – for your interest in ArcHSoc and Dig It: we do this for you, and we appreciate your involvement enormously. It has been a privilege to be your Dig It Editor - in - Chief for this year, and I thank you all very much. I wish my successor and their team all the very best for 2023! Yours etc. Thomas H. Bowden Editor - in - Chief, 2022 P.S. Control of the Dig It official email address will be passed onto to the editor - elect and team as soon as they are ready. I will retain access to it until we finish up this year ’ s volume. In the meantime, I will still take queries and questions via digit.archsoc@gmail.com. Message from the Editor Dig It — Issue 3 5 No prerequisites required! Hands - on experiential archaeology, including surveying, artefact conservation, osteology, and more! Homestay – live like a local with a local family! (Breakfast, lunch and dinner provided!) Visit stunning Ireland and immerse yourself in centuries of culture and history! This field school investigates monastic life in Ireland and includes studying the geology of the landscape, surveying and recording monastic sites, processing and cataloguing artefacts in a professional fashion, and a deep - dive on osteology and the excavation of human skeletons. The program can be taken for university credit (accredited) or without (non - accredited). ( Subject to confirmation from the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Flinders students are eligible to receive 4.5 units for this course if they complete the field - school requirements which includes a research paper (60%), field journal (15%) and a grade for field school participation (25%). Program details: 4 weeks duration Cost: 4200 Euro ($6500 AUD) Application deadline: December 2, 2022. Website: https://iafs.ie Email: info@irishheritageschool.ie T he Irish Archaeology Field School proudly presents “The Monastic Midlands” Winter 2023 field program (Jan 4 — Feb 1, 2023) Images supplied by IAFS 6 Dig It — Volume 6 My experience presenting at NASC 2022 By Lucy Thiele, Membership Officer In September of this year, I had the amazing opportunity to present online for the National Archaeology Student ’ s Conference (NASC). The conference was facilitated by the Australian National University in Canberra. As a second - year archaeology student, this was my very first time presenting at an academic conference. I was definitely filled with nerves and excitement! I decided to present within the field of Cultural Anthropology, focusing on how material culture can reinforce and subvert gender norms. For this, I was able to convert an essay I had already written into my presentation. In my presentation, I specifically analysed the two film texts, Little Women (1994) and an episode from Parks and Recreation (2017). I spent weeks beforehand preparing my presentation, ensuring that it was engaging and informative. I carefully curated my PowerPoint, finding just the right images and visuals. Before I knew it, the day of presenting was upon me! I wasn ’ t sure what to expect, as I hadn ’ t actually presented over Zoom before. It was a different sort of nerves, not as scary as in - person presenting, but still daunting. How many people would be watching in Canberra? How many people would be online? How would my presentation compare to other presenters? These were all the thoughts racing through my mind that morning. I felt comforted, knowing some other ArcHSoc members from Flinders would be watching. The conference day started off rocky. As you would it expect in the pandemic world of online presenting, technical difficulties arose. I was extra nervous at this point; would they be able to get them sorted before it was my turn to present? Luckily, they did, and sure enough, my time slot for presenting arrived. I sat at my computer and began. Despite the nerves, I thoroughly enjoyed presenting! It was amazing to be able to share my work with other students from all over Australia. I also loved being able to participate in the question time afterwards, receiving very constructive questions and engagement. I would say to any Flinders University student who is thinking of presenting at a conference like NASC, go for it! Even if you can ’ t make it in person, the experience is just as valuable! [NASC is held every year by universities around Australia which teach archaeology. Flinders last hosted NASC in 2019. — Ed.] Lucy presenting on the big screen in Canberra. (Photo: NASC Australia. Used with permission) Dig It — Issue 3 7 On Thursday 10th November, I was one of a group who took part in a guided walk through what used to be the Treasury Building at 2 Flinders Street, Adelaide. The tour was organised by ArchSoc in conjunction with the SA National Trust and took just over an hour. It was a great chance to see what was left of an important colonial building, but to be honest, I was mostly there for the tunnels. The first Treasury was a single - story building designed by George Strickland Kingston, and built in 1839. Over subsequent decades, there were a number of additions and expansions. At one point the building was large enough to accommodate the State Governor, Chief Secretary/Premier, the Treasury, Survey and Crown Lands, Public Works and the Attorney - General. The last government staff to work there were relocated in the 1990s, and the building was left without a purpose. It was purchased by a hotel chain and between 2001 and 2002 the building was renovated, keeping some of the original features, and opened to the public. There were a number of tour highlights. One was to be able to sit in the Cabinet Room at ArcHSoc presents A tour of the Treasury Tunnels By Anastasia Marsden Photo: D. Crawford 8 Dig It — Volume 6 the same table used by countless politicians to discuss SA policy. Best of all was to be able to walk through the basement tunnel and cellars, and to hear about how they were used. There was speculation about the existence of other tunnels under Adelaide (Jubilee Exhibition Line tunnel anyone?), the early minting of coinage, as well as the casting of gold bullion thanks to the miners who returned from the Victorian goldfields with their pockets weighed down. It was a really interesting way to absorb a little of Adelaide ’ s early history, and the tour guide was very knowledgeable. In fact, the stories he told were peopled with names immediately recognizable from local streets, parks and suburbs. The only real disappointment was that there was no acknowledgement of the Indigenous Australians upon whose stolen land the Treasury building was constructed. Thanks to ArchSoc, the SA National Trust and the Adina Treasury Hotel for making the tour possible. Photos, clockwise: The tunnels, A. Marsden. Students in Council Chamber, D. Crawford. Furnaces of unknown purpose, A. Marsden Dig It — Issue 3 9 Part I: A View from a Private Museum By Thomas H. Bowden National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide Archaeology, to many people, conjures ideas of digging in the field, lecturing at a university, or working in a museum. However, it is a mistake to assume that a mere archaeology degree is enough – at least in Australia – to work in a museum. As much as there is an expectation to hoist the flag of one ’ s own university, I have to say that if you wish to work in a museum as a curator or archivist, Flinders ’ archaeology degree alone will not equip you for the job. Museology is a science and an art unto itself. In the broadest sense, you can consider the “ artistic ” side – arranging exhibitions, displaying items to fulfil a certain vision or tell a certain story – to be the main work of a curator. But this is only the public - facing aspect. The true main role, as these roles often are, is all the work that must take place behind the scenes. First, there is the entirely practical aspect: collections must be catalogued, described, and stored in the appropriate manner. Putting artefacts or papers on an open shelf or in a drawer loose will not do. I am talking about acid - free boxes, special plastic and pencils, layers of tissue between sheets, pinning out, light - proof cabinets, insect control, white cotton gloves and more. Humidity must be given consideration, which means air - conditioning must be managed, which then means that fail - safes must be put into practice: what happens if there is a fire, or a flood, or a different kind of emergency? How to protect collections; how to save collections; how to store collections so they last for inconceivable amounts of time? Some of these considerations The following essays outline the views of two Flinders University postgraduate students, both of whom have roles – one voluntary, one paid – in two different types of museums. It is hoped their differing perspectives may be of value to students wishing to work in the museum or gallery field. “ So, you want to work in a 10 Dig It — Volume 6 are things you will need to learn about, whether through proper training or through volunteer experience (or, if you are lucky enough, paid professional development). Then we have the research – without research, study and investigation, a museum ’ s collection is as useless as the treasures buried with Beowulf. Depending on the kind of museum, research might produce an exhibition or book, as a kind of value - adding exercise to attract visitors – an activity vital to a museum ’ s survival if it is a private or independent one which relies on visitor entrance fees for funding. A smaller museum might not be able to spare the cost of paying an employee to conduct research if it did not pay for itself somehow. Moreover, a curator or museum officer must be multi - talented. It is no use pretending that in today ’ s economy museum staff will be undertaking only one job. Rather, you may – again, depending on the size of the museum and its funding arrangement – be expected to play the roles of cleaner, tour - guide, exhibition planner, researcher, public - engagement strategist, ticket salesperson, collections manager – all at once. Only the largest museums Accessioned and unprocessed historical maps and plans, National Railway Museum archive. Photo: T.H. Bowden Dig It — Issue 3 11 can really afford to have a multitude of people to fill these and many other responsibilities. Returning, then, to the original point: you will not find all of this taught at our university. The art of museum curation – much like archaeological theory – may well be taught here in the future (and I have heard there is a class in progress which touches on some of these arts), but it is not the full story. Working in a library, archive or museum is not as straightforward as it would appear and as with everything these days, there is a course, degree or qualification required as the bare minimum in most professional contexts. If you are from Adelaide and a student of archaeology hoping to work in the museums and galleries space, it would do you extremely well to begin volunteering at a museum. Now, the obvious choice is unfortunately a lot more difficult to get into than it appears, least of all if you are searching for experience beyond being a tour - guide or visitor ’ s information desk assistant. My advice, borne of my own experience, would be to seek out one of the smaller museums – private or independent. These typically rely more on volunteers and are usually more accommodating of students. Indeed, many would be delighted to have your interest and archaeological training at their disposal in exchange for museum experience. There are quite a few small and local museums in Adelaide, and you can usually find one that will allow you to volunteer a certain number of hours or days a week to fit in with your schedule. In short, smaller museums are more likely to be open to volunteering opportunities and while some public museums do have volunteer programs, not all of them do. If you by chance or by choice end up volunteering at a museum which does offer paid roles, this can be a really good way to get your name out there with the museum management, should you wish to apply for a job there. A good in - road for those of you who are considering staying at Flinders University for postgrad are the placements topics available in both Honours and Masters. You are quite Illuminated address (Farewell Card) for Commissioner McGuire of the South Australian Railways, c.1922, National Railway Museum archive. Photo: T.H. Bowden. 12 Dig It — Volume 6 welcome to request a placement at a museum, and in most instances, it will be at one of these smaller museums as your chances of placement at the SA Museum are slim. Nevertheless, these placement topics are a fantastic way to get in on the museum scene via an easy in - road, if you have not done so independent of the university. If you wish to study archival science – preservation, conservation and even restoration of artefacts, documents, etc. or true museology – you will need to look for universities or organisations which actually offer these courses outright. Some of them include Deakin University, ANU, the University of Queensland, the University of Sydney, and as of recently, the University of Adelaide. As I said before, being an archaeologist alone is not enough to be of value to a museum, and you are unlikely to land a paid role at any museum with that qualification solely and no experience. Paid museum roles, particularly here in South Australia, are few and far between, so unless you can entertain moving interstate or overseas, you need to have: a . the right academic and practical training and b . the right volunteer experience. It can often be discouraging to get a certain distance into a degree only to discover you do not have the right training or knowledge to suit the field you wish to go into, but all is not lost. While it may not be easy to land your dream museum job, it is not necessarily impossible. It just requires you to be switched on to what skills and official certifications you need to be the most employable. A criticism I level at Flinders is how it neglects to inform prospective students of certain practical real - world requirements and considerations early enough in their degrees. For example, if you wish to work in the commercial or consulting archaeology field, having a degree in GIS to supplement your degree archaeology is immensely useful. GIS is a specialization which has practical use, and many archaeologists need to use those skills and techniques in their everyday jobs – and yet, does the university point this out very well? Not every student has the advantage or ability to study at any university they wish, and career wise, some may have chosen a different course had they known what they need to learn versus what they actually learn diverge too much. This is particularly the case with museums – while the knowledge you will have acquired during your archaeology degree is a good foundation, further training of some kind is needed, in addition to experience gained via a method such as volunteering. For those who seriously wish to join a museum career, or simply wish to check out what it might Dig It — Issue 3 13 involve, below is a list of some of the museums available in Adelaide to volunteer at which include, but are not limited to: Public (Government - owned) Museums: • SA Museum (tour guides, front of house visitor experience, limited collections roles) • Migration Museum (History Trust) • Maritime Museum (History Trust) • Motor Museum (History Trust) • Museum of Economic Botany (Botanic Gardens, Adelaide) • Old Adelaide Gaol • Carrick Hill House Museum • Old Government House (National Park, Belair) Private or Independent Museums and Archives: • National Railway Museum • Adelaide Holocaust Museum • David Roche Foundation Museum • Ayers House Museum (National Trust) • Aviation Museum • Army Museum (Department of Defence) • St Kilda Tramway Museum • Lutheran Archives (archives of early German settlement in SA) • Unley Museum • Willunga Courthouse Museum (National Trust) • City of Adelaide Clipper - Ship Trust If you can spare the cost of a personal membership, the Australian Museums and Galleries Association (AMaGA) is potentially of value as well. They organise meetups for members, tours of libraries, galleries and museums behind the scenes to better understand processes and policies in place at these institutions, and lecture presentations for members on a variety of topics relating to museums and gallery work in Australia. If you are considering a career in the museum or gallery field, this organisation might be of use to you. And if you already work or volunteer at a museum or gallery that are institutional members of AMaGA, you might be eligible to be sent as their delegate to attend various tours, professional development, etc. depending again on where you work, and whether they would support your professional interest in attending certain events. On our various journeys in life, there are often regrets for paths not taken or opportunities missed. It is my hope that, at the very least, what I have said above may be of value to someone who also has an interest in the museum or gallery career path, and who needs something of a guidance for the road ahead. 14 Dig It — Volume 6 I have several things I think are valuable to share on this topic, however I should point out my knowledge on this topic is limited by my role and the institution I work for. For context I shall explain my role in museums and how I came to work in museums, so please bear with me while I talk about myself. I currently work for the History Trust of South Australia, a branch of the state government ’ s Department for Education. The History Trust is responsible for three public museums: the National Motor Museum, the South Australian Maritime Museum, and the Migration Museum. They are also responsible for the Centre of Democracy; however, I have no experience with this particular institution. Another responsibility of the History Trust is to assist local private museums with their operations, doing this through assistance from key personnel, training, and funding. The Trust has plenty of volunteer and placement/ internship opportunities in many departments. If you are looking to work in museums then you should be seeking out and applying for these opportunities, both with the Trust and other heritage institutions. I have more to say on this later. My role, which I have held for nearly 2 years, is ‘ Visitor Engagement Officer ’ (previously known as: ‘ Museum Officer ’) and is a casual, paid role with various duties. I am responsible for everything from front - of - house fundraising, ticket and merchandise sales to tours (both within the museums and at various locations external to the museums). I run education programs for school children of all ages, I work with curators to manage the exhibitions and displays, I help run events from massive events Part II: A View from a Public Museum By Cameron McVicar History Trust Museums, SA Government Refreshment Rooms display, National Railway Museum, Photo: T.H. Bowden. Dig It — Issue 3 15 like the Bay to Birdwood, to book launches, and I am required to even do simple jobs like dusting, replacing a light bulb or cleaning the toilets on occasion. To be clear, I work across all 3 museums, and must know and continually update my knowledge of the content, procedures, maintenance and operation of each museum. This role is considered an entry level position with the History Trust and is essentially a customer service role at its core. Now, this may sound like a lot of duties for an entry level position, but it is attainable with key skills. I attained this position because of 4 main skillsets and a willingness to get in and do whatever needs doing. The skills particular to me and something I think are genuinely valuable for working in museums is: experience in archaeology (alternatively history or museology), experience in education, experience working within a team of various skillsets, and sales experience. This is particular to my role but are genuinely good skills for working in a museum to have regardless. It is always best to have diverse skillsets when looking for entry level jobs. To be clear, I had no experience with museums in the workplace prior to attaining this role. This is not to say you should not seek out museum experience; however, simply to show that it is possible to get these jobs without it. Having said that, I encourage anyone who is wanting to work in this industry to immediately seek out volunteer opportunities. This will help you immensely in getting these kinds of jobs, and many of the people who work at the History Trust have previously held volunteer positions in museums. Before I say anything else, I will say this as I believe it needs to be said: You will not get a position as a curator with much of anything shorter than a PhD in a relevant field (museology, history, archaeology) and museum experience . If you are wanting to work towards this role you will need both study and experience 1880s maps ready to be accessioned, National Railway Museum archive. Photo: T.H. Bowden. 16 Dig It — Volume 6 to back you up. Be prepared for the long road if you want one of these positions. Starting out as a volunteer or in an entry level paid role is a great way to learn the operations and management of a museum and be willing to start in any role whether that be front of house, tours, collections, maintenance, education, administration, research, marketing, or events. These are all essential aspects of a museum and will be great entry points. If you are looking for a paid role, look for a department in a museum that you already have skills that are applicable to and apply for that position regardless of if that ’ s a job you want or not. The experience of that role will be worth it, not to mention you get paid. Having said that, don ’ t just limit yourself to one role. Even if you win a paid role look for volunteer opportunities to broaden your skills. For example, while working at the History Trust I volunteered with the National Trust (another great heritage organisation) to broaden my skills and experience. Other key public institutions with both volunteer and paid opportunities are the state museum, library and art gallery. I refer back to the skill set I mentioned above that I used to gain my current role. Do not only seek out experience in heritage institutions, they cannot teach you all the skills you need to work in museums. If you are studying archaeology, seek out archaeological volunteer experience. If you are studying history, seek out historical volunteer opportunities. These will teach you key areas that you will be expected to have experience in when you apply for a role in a museum. Another aspect, as Tom has suggested, is that museums are often getting funding from visitors whether through ticket prices, merchandise or fundraising. For example, although the History Trust is a government institution it only gets a small portion of its annual funding from government coffers. Most of its funding comes from sales of ticket and merchandise, so you can imagine private institutions are even more inclined in this aspect. Hence, retail or sales experience is another key area I would recommend you have experience in. You will need to be skilled in parting people from their money often multiple times in a visit, in a way that doesn ’ t upset them: a task that is not easy. This brings me to customer service. Many roles in museums are customer service based. If you do not have customer service experience when starting out in museums, you are going to struggle. My suggestion to prepare yourself is to put yourself in socially challenging situations more often and get used to talking to people from all walks of life on various topics. I can tell you from many hours of conversing with visitors I don ’ t just talk about history. You want people Dig It — Issue 3 17 to feel respected and appreciated while they are visiting and that means being able to converse on various topics – anything from local sport to high fashion and (yes) politics. Be genuinely interested in people and ask them questions about their life and experiences. It will make you better at your job in many ways. My key message is, diversify your skills and interests. This is not only useful in life generally but has specific applications for your career. Take any opportunity you can to learn something new even if it means sacrificing your comfort. Quality opportunities to diversify your skillset come along very rarely and you need to be prepared to take them, because the reality is that the heritage industry is competitive and if you don ’ t take that opportunity someone else will and they will take that job you ’ ve always wanted away from you. Don ’ t let what other people say is the correct path be the only path; find your own way by taking weird opportunities while they are there. You ’ ll be amazed at where they can take you. 18 Dig It — Volume 6 Melite Civitas Romana Project Domus Romana, Malta, 12 July – 2 June 2022 *** By Cate Sexton, David Cardona, Robert Brown, Ben Lowe, Davide Tanasi and Andrew Wilkinson MCRP excavation team outside the Domus Romana museum. (Photo: Cate Sexton) Dig It — Issue 3 19 Aerial map of Domus Romana site, Malta, with excavation areas for the Melite Civitas Romana Project overlaid. (Photo: Melite Civitas Romana Project 2022) Introduction The Melite Civitas Romana Project (MCRP) is an ongoing archaeological investigation of the Domus Romana in Rabat, Malta, and began in earnest in 2019. The Domus comprises the ruins of a first century BCE Roman townhouse once part of the town, Melite (George Azzopardi, pers. comm. 2022), and a three - week excavation season was conducted in June 2022 with plans to continue well into the decade. For research of this scale the level of inquiry is colossal; in fact, the project boasts 11 research questions. This year ’ s team of over 60 participants was headed by an enthusiastic and professional quintet of directors: David Cardona (Heritage Malta), Rob Brown (Macquarie University), Ben Lowe (University of North Alabama), Davide Tanasi (University of South Florida) and Andrew Wilkinson (Flinders University). The group also included three Flinders students (Tess Devlin, Mitchell Lunnay and Cate Sexton) who would each fervently encourage anyone with a sense of adventure and curiosity to join up next year. Real field experience is unmatchable, and being 20 Dig It — Volume 6 able to excavate, diagnose artefacts, work in big and small teams, monitor a site, and take initiative are crucial skills for all archaeologists. Plus, the project takes you to one of the finest spots in the Mediterranean, and you can have gelato for lunch! Malta is a cultural and historical melting pot, visited and influenced by peoples from all around the Mediterranean and beyond – from Bronze Age colonisers, Phoenicians and Romans to Arabs, Normans and the Knights of Saint John. But simultaneously, the island nation has maintained a distinct character and heritage of its own, showcased by its prehistoric Temple period (c. 4100 BCE) (Atauz 2008:6; Bonanno 2017; Cardona 2021:231). Among the complex list of Malta ’ s historical phases, the Roman one is neither the most famous nor the most well - researched (Brown et al. 2021a:1619 – 1620). However, this deficiency in study likely does not reflect the archaeological potential of the island ’ s Roman sites; instead, the current understanding of the Empire ’ s extent, influence and urbanism in Malta (and other places) may be significantly enhanced with new, targeted investigations on the islands. There are dozens of places across the country from which Roman pottery has turned up; so, quantity of evidence is not lacking and, as should be demonstrated by this project, neither is quality. Geography and the first Maltese Although the 316km 2 Maltese archipelago may be humbled by the 2.5 million km 2 Mediterranean Sea, its role in the seascape is pivotal. Malta ’ s geographic centrality in the Mediterranean has landed it a seat at the table since antiquity, having been parked along major trade routes and between strategic hubs. The first people to live on Malta likely arrived from Sicily in about 5300BCE (Atauz 2008:5), and established an agricultural society with unique cultural trademarks. Distinct among these are its megalithic monuments with enormous stone blocks and gargantuan statues, which are unlike anything that came before or after, in Malta or elsewhere (Atauz 2008:6). Later, between 700 and 1000BCE, the Phoenicians set up camp in Malta, establishing townships where Mdina and Gozo ’ s Citadel are today, ending the islands ’ water - driven isolation, and exaggerating class differentiations as trade boomed (Atauz 2008:9 – 10, 18). Under the Phoenicians and to a lesser extent the Carthaginians (who were in control until the Romans took over), Malta became a powerful base in the Mediterranean and may have even controlled the sea passage south of Sicily (Atauz 2008:18).