3 days Ago By Times of Malta
A University lecturer has been allocated a grant of nearly €2 million for a study into the origins, evolution, and impacts of agricultural terracing in Malta. Terracing, a farming technique that uses stone walls to retain soil on sloping land, has long been hailed as a cornerstone of sustainable agriculture. It mitigates soil erosion and prevents flooding.
As one of the most intensively terraced landscapes globally, Malta presents an extraordinary opportunity to investigate the development and significance of this practice, Xjenza Malta said. While the origins of Maltese terraces remain debated - suggested to date as far back as prehistory or as recently as the Islamic period, TerraForm as the research project is called, aims to uncover definitive answers using cutting-edge scientific techniques. The project is headed by Huw Groucutt, a lecturer in Mediterranean prehistory at the Department of Classics and Archaeology within the Faculty of Arts, at the University of Malta.
The funding, the first ever for Malta, is being provided by the Horizon Europe European Research Council. The TerraForm project will adopt a multidisciplinary approach, involving collaborations with researchers from the University of Milan, the University of Durham, and other international institutions. Techniques like optically stimulated luminescence, will help pinpoint the timing of terrace construction by analysing buried soil crystals.
This high-tech analysis will be complemented by interviews and consultations with local farmers, ensuring a holistic understanding of the cultural and practical dimensions of terracing. Dr. Groucutt, a Maltese citizen originally from Wales, brings a wealth of expertise to this pioneering initiative.
With nearly 100 publications and fieldwork spanning Malta, Saudi Arabia, and Senegal, he has established himself as a leading authority on human-environment interactions. Before joining the University of Malta in 2022, he earned his Phd at the University of Oxford and led a research group at the Max Planck Institute in Germany. Commenting on the success of this landmark ERC grant, Silvio Scerri, CEO Xjenza Malta stated said: "This milestone highlights the world-class potential of Maltese researchers and demonstrates the opportunities Horizon Europe provides for advancing scientific knowledge.
We encourage more researchers in Malta to follow this example and pursue ambitious projects that can make a global impact." You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use as our marketing platform.
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