Island archaeology in the Mediterranean: Problems and opportunities

The islands of the Mediterranean differ greatly, both in their geographical distribution and their relation to continental land masses, from other large groups, such as those of the Pacific, for example. In consequence, they also differ in their cultural history and the kind of opportunities which they present to archaeologists and others for the study of cultural change. Though the effects of isolation can be seen in some, there is often a close relation with events on the mainland which sometimes serves to illuminate the latter. One example is the important evidence which they provide bearing on the ways in which food producing techniques spread around the shores of the Mediterranean. The early prehistory of the Maltese and Lipari islands (to the end of the third millennium B.C.) is then compared to show how the geographical position and physical conditions and resources of each influenced the cultural development of its inhabitants.