Manipulated Connectivity in Island Isolation: Maltese Prehistoric Stone Tool Technology and Procurement Strategies Across the Fourth and Third Millennia BC

Prehistoric Maltese islanders, often perceived as isolated due to their megalithic monuments dating from the fourth and third millennia BC, actually maintained manipulated connectivity with the outside world. Analysis of lithic assemblages from Late Neolithic megalithic structures reveals that despite declining obsidian availability, islanders procured flint from southeastern Sicily. This imported flint was used wastefully within the structures, indicating a disinterest in its limited supply and suggesting control over procurement by powerful individuals. The study suggests that this connectivity was tied to the organization of megalithic monuments, which were spatially connected to fertile plains and anchorage bays, reflecting specific social strategies in a setting of cultural isolation.

Vella, C. (2016). Manipulated Connectivity in Island Isolation: Maltese Prehistoric Stone Tool Technology and Procurement Strategies Across the Fourth and Third Millennia BC. The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology, 11(3), 344–363. https://doi.org/10.1080/15564894.2015.1135838