Processes of colonisation in the Central Mediterranean

Abstract

How long ago were the islands of the central and west Mediterranean first settled? This question has often been posed by archaeologists unearthing evidence of prehistoric activity in the Mediterranean. In the earlier years of this century, the Bronze Age was a satisfactory answer, but as more and more early material has come to light, the earliest occupation has been pushed further back in time. Evidence for early Neolithic farmers is now routinely found in Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily and Malta, and the principal question now dominating the discussion of colonisation and settlement is whether islands separated by sizeable channels from the surrounding mainlands, were actually settled before the advent of 'agriculture. The large islands of the central Mediterranean offer such diversity and environmental potential that it seems possible, not to say probable, that some of the islands were exploited and settled well before farming communities began to exploit them.