Tracing identity from insularity : Maltese industries in the Late Punic and Roman Period

Abstract

Textiles are often considered the primary products that were manufactured and exported by the Maltese inhabitants during the Roman period. We are aware of this because of the rich textual evidence left to us by several ancient writers, most notably Cicero in the first century BC. In spite of this, the very nature of this organic export makes it difficult, if not impossible, to trace remnants of this industry in the archaeological record. Tracing the distribution of archaeological objects from a known source is one of the main starting points in understanding and exploring insularity in an island context. The purpose of this paper is therefore to broaden the search for the distribution of tangible evidence of locally manufactured Maltese ceramic goods beyond the islands’ shores. This will be dealt with by examining both old and new archaeological data pertaining to the density and distribution of coarse and fine ware pottery types imported into, as well as exported out of, the Maltese islands in the Late Punic and Roman periods.