Glossary

Archaeology is the systematic study of past human life and culture by the recovery and examination of remaining material and evidence, such as graves, buildings, tools, and pottery

The arquebus was a primitive firearm used in the 15th to 17th centuries.

Chain Shot is an obsolete type of naval ammunition formed of two half balls chained together. They were used for black powder cannons.

Dragut (Turgut Reis)  lived from 1485 to  June 23rd 1565. He was a Turkish privateer and Ottoman admiral as well as Bey (Turkish chieftain) of Algiers; Beylerbey of the Mediterranean; and first Bey later Pasha of Tripoli.

Erosion is the gradual wearing and removal of solids in the natural environment including sediment, soil, rock and other particles because of transport by wind, water, or ice.

Flint is a very hard, fine-grained quartz that sparks when struck with steel.

Francesco Balbi di Correggio (1505-1589)  an arquebusier who served with the Spanish contingent during the Siege of Malta. Little is known about him other than that he maintained a journal throughout the siege, that served to keep the knights and local inhabitants well informed and compact in their morale.

A Galleon was a large, multi-decked sailing ship. The nations of Europe used it from the 16th to 18th centuries. The galleon was powered entirely by sail, carried three to five masts.

Globigerina Limestone is a common sedimentary rock consisting mostly of calcium carbonate and which is used as a building stone in Malta.

Jean Parisot De La Vallette joined the Order of St John in the Langue de Provence and was also present in the siege of Rhodes. In 1541 he was caught by  Barbary pirates and made a  galley slave for a year  under the command of Turgut Reis. La Vallette had refused to come to terms with the Ottomans during the Great Siege. He became very popular after the end of the siege and was even offered the Cardinal's hat from the Pope, which he refused so that the Order could retain independence. La Valette died in 1568 before the completion of the city of Valletta.

Obsidian is a black or banded, hard volcanic glass that displays shiny, curved surfaces when fractured. It formed by rapid cooling of lava.

Piracy is robbery committed at sea. Sea pirates used to wait for merchant ships on trade routes and would attack these ships, steal their goods and even take prisoners for ransom

Red Ochre is a pigment made from naturally tinted clay. It has been used worldwide since prehistoric times.

Siege Towers were constructed especially to attack walls of forts or cities and to protect the attackers.

A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.