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Roman base column converted into a well opening
Roman base column converted into a well opening
Media licensed by Heritage Malta under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International). www.heritagemalta.mt

Roman base column converted into a well opening

PeriodMedieval
Classification(s)
Object TypeColumn
Registration NumberMMM 005093.2
DescriptionMarble and other material were imported to Malta as they were not available on the resource-less rock. It was therefore important that sculpted material was repurposed. In pre-industrial societies such as the Middle Ages, an object was reused as much as possible. This certainly happened due to economic requirements, but it was also a way of survival on a tiny island. This Roman base column was converted into a well opening, showcasing the recycling behaviour in medieval Malta.Material
Medieval recycled marble
Dimensions30 x 61cm; 52 x 42cm; 44 cm
Alternate ID Numbers
  • HM Object Number 85929
  • Inventory Card 50709-10
  • EEA Norway Grant EEA.2230
Public Access
Not on view
Location
  •   Malta Maritime Museum, Reserve Collection