Maltese red-slip : an investigation of red-slipped ware from the Maltese Islands : from prehistory to the post-medieval period

Abstract

Red slipped ware can be seen throughout 6000 years of Maltese history, ranging from the Neolithic to the post-Medieval period. Despite red-slipped ware being actively produced within the Maltese Islands, the literature regarding the most striking feature of these wares – the slip, has had almost no empirical study within the repertoire of Maltese pottery studies. This work presents a compilation of observations from the investigation of ten fragments of red-slipped pottery found on the Maltese Islands from four different phases of Maltese history: Red Skorba, Borġ in-Nadur, Phoenician and Early Roman. Low magnification microscopy paired with high resolution photography and microphotography was performed on non-ground sections, ground sections, and thin sections to investigate the slip and record the main characteristics, mainly the colour, texture, thickness, and the presence of any inclusions in the slip matrix. A catalogue was then compiled to feature all the photographs, results, and data regarding the slips and the respective sherds. This study concluded that it is possible to systematically investigate the slip using the procedures offered in this research and best results were obtained through the use of thin sections analysis paired with the observation of the ground section.