ABSTRACT
The chapter explores the degree to which our knowledge regarding island colonisation has changed in the last two decades. Archaeological investigations in recent years have highlighted the potential for finding early evidence for island colonisation when research focuses on the right places. The islands here are located along the shores of Mediterranean Morocco and western Algeria. Pantelleria obsidian, or Pantellerite', is readily distinguishable from other western Mediterranean sources because of its chemical content, which makes it look greenish. The Maltese islands have been considered amongst the most isolated islands in the Mediterranean after the Balearics. It is worth restating that there remains considerable controversy surrounding our understanding of the colonisation not just of small islands but also of some of the largest islands in the western Mediterranean. As more modern investigative techniques are employed, in tandem with more established field and excavation methods, traditional chronologies are being debunked, leading to a radical reassessment of colonisation dynamics.
