Smashing Old Ideas: New approaches to Late Neolithic pottery from the Maltese Islands

Lecture by Dr Isabelle Vella Gregory

How should we approach a period dominated by megaliths and rigid typologies? Can we learn more from prehistoric pottery? Understanding humanity requires multiple approaches. This talk will focus on pottery, starting with decoration techniques and the tools used. Pottery typologies, while seemingly neutral, have a complex history that includes some of archaeology’s less pleasant aspects. Rigid typologies constrain inquiry by imposing classifications that overlook the dynamic lives of pottery makers and users. This oversimplification reduces cultural identity to single groups, often seen as passive recipients of foreign influences, as evident in certain views of the Neolithic Maltese Islands. How did people use their bodies to make and decorate pots? This shifts the focus to the potters, revealing a community of practice where shared techniques and knowledge reflect social structures and interactions. Ceramic composition analysis provides deeper insights into the materials and methods used in pottery production. By examining the “recipes” for making pots and the various firing techniques, we can understand technological choices and innovations. Ultimately, this approach brings us closer to understanding one of the most complex and fascinating prehistoric societies in the ancient Mediterranean.