Maltese Ceramics and Imperial Foodways: An Exploration of Nineteenth-Century Red Wares

Abstract

The archaeological study of recent periods in Malta is in its infancy. Despite the high potential for an historical archaeology of Malta contributing to broader issues such as an understanding of Mediterranean trade and colonialism, as well as the cultural history of Malta, the archaeological resource has remained under-explored. The aim of this article is to address the situation and offer an initial classification and interpretation of local and imported red earthenware ceramics. It will demonstrate the need for such work in relation to answering questions relating to local production, international trade, and foodways.

Sherds of Paradise: Domestic Archaeology and Ceramic Artefacts from a Protestant Mission in the South Pacific

“…Ceramic artefacts have been a staple of historical and postmedieval archaeology, revealing important patterns in changing habits of food preparation and consumption, consumer choice, and socio-economic status in European and colonial settings (e.g. Barker & Majewski, 2006;Beaudry et al, 1983;Brooks, 2005;Crook, 2005;Palmer, 2014;Wilkie & Farnsworth, 2005). It should be noted that in many places in Oceania large-scale colonialism often does not begin until late in the 1700s or 1800s, a century or more after the arrival of the first European explorers, and this is reflected in the historical archaeology of the region (Flexner, 2014a).…”