Discover Malta's
maritime history
etched in stone
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Although many examples of ship graffiti have already been documented throughout the Maltese Islands, it is a probability that a number of graffiti still remain undiscovered. Help us build our database and make your discovery known!
Graffiti can sometimes be very hard to see depending on the light conditions. You could return to a site later in the day and see a completely different set of ships, or perhaps none at all. The easiest way to avoid this is to stand about a metre away from a wall and take pictures/sketch of a graffito. Some lines may be more easily visible with a small torch held at a 45 degree angle to the graffito.
When recording graffiti:
- Take multiple photos from different angles
- Use a light source such as a camera flash or a torch at a 45° angle
- Take a photo using a ruler for scale
- Draw a sketch of the graffiti using paper and pencil
- Measure the dimensions of the graffiti
- Record the graffiti's location in relation to the wall or building
- Note down any special features of the graffiti
- Do take photos in raw format
When recording graffiti:
- Do not add any graffiti of your own
- Do not make any changes to the existing graffiti
- Do not enhance the graffiti in any way
- Do not touch the graffiti
- Do not sketch the graffiti by tracing them or by using any direct contact
- Do not enter private or restricted areas without permission from the proprietor
- Do not take rubbings of graffiti as sketches
- Do not expose covered graffiti